In more than 1,200 games as an NHL coach, Bryan Murray knew ups and downs. His 2006-07 Ottawa Senators reached the Stanley Cup finals.
But this year's Senators are giving Murray more than an exciting season. They are lifting the spirits of their general manager during his fight with cancer.
Murray, 72, has Stage 4 colon cancer. Reading about it, knowing about it makes it obvious Murray is in a fight for his life. If he wins, it would be a miracle.
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His cancer diagnosis came last November, possibly 10 years after he developed the disease. It has spread to his liver and lungs, and Murray has said: "There is no cure for me at this point."
So those long nights after chemotherapy, left bone-weary and yet unable to sleep, are made better for Murray by his team's success.
Consider Murray's comments to SportsNet.ca:
"My sister actually texted me and she was talking about the game and she was asking me how I was feeling because she knows I had chemo yesterday," Murray said Wednesday. "Well, you don't sleep the night after you have chemo but I feel pretty good today because of the team. There's no question.
"It goes hand-in-hand. I've talked to my oncologist about this, 'How involved should I be and how is stress going to affect my life and all that?' He's all positive. It's good to be part of something like this."
Call it the healing power of hockey if you want. Call it a hockey man living life against all odds.
Murray, sick as he is, continues to inspire his team.
"Bryan has been so instrumental with us and with this run, obviously with the moves he's made, and just seeing him around the room and the attitude that he brings, it's pretty amazing," defenseman Marc Methot said. "He's in there, he still cracks jokes with his dry sense of humor. It's inspiring for us to see that. God, you come to the rink and you complain about a couple of bumps and bruises here and there.
"And then you see Bryan walk in there and he's kind of strutting in the room. It makes you realize that things aren't so bad and it's just a game and we're lucky."
And the Sens certainly inspire Murray. After more than 40 years in the NHL, his team's seven-week stretch run stands at 25-4-4. Even that might not be good enough, but Murray told The Ottawa Citizen's Wayne Scanlan he is loving the ride.
"I've been in the game a long time and I don't know that I've experienced this type of run with any team," Murray said. "The character they've shown, the no-quit ability, all those words."
NHL colleagues honors Murray last month at their spring meetings. But as Bruce Garrioch of The Ottawa Sun wrote:
The best way his team can honor him: Make the playoffs with two games left in the season and then go as far as this wonderful ride can take them.
Come what may, Murray is ready.
"No question. If you have to go through this s— you might as well enjoy it with a group like this as well," Murray said.