Iggulden, Murphy to Skate for Canada
CALGARY, Alta. – Two former League standouts -- Cory Murphy (Colgate) and Mike Iggulden (Cornell) are among a group of 24 players who will represent Canada at the 2010 Spengler Cup, December 26-31 in Davos, Switzerland, Hockey Canada announced. The roster is mainly comprised of Canadian-born players currently playing in Europe.
A member of the Big Red from 2001 through 2005, Iggulden currently is playing with Langnau of the National League A (Switzerland). In 34 contests, he has amassed 29 points, including 10 goals.
A two-time American Hockey League (AHL) All-Star, Iggulden spent the 2009-10 campaign with Dinamo Riga of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He compiled 33 points, including 13 goals, in 55 KHL contests.
In 2008-09, the native of St. Catharines, Ontario, was a member of the New York Islanders organization. Iggulden played 11 contests with the Islanders, netting one goal and four assists. He played in 72 games with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, compiling 25 goals and 41 assists.
Murphy, a standout at Colgate from 1997 through 2001, is a member of the ZSC Lions of the Swiss National League.
A native of Kanata, Ontario, Murphy spent the 2009-10 campaign with Lowell Devils of American Hockey League (AHL) and the Devils’ parent club the New Jersey Devils. He competed in 64 games with Lowell, compiling six goals and 38 assists in 64 games. In 12 contests with New Jersey, Murphy registered two goals and one assist.
Murphy spent the 2007-08 and 2008-09 season competing in the NHL with the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning. He appeared in 47 games with Florida in 2007-08, compiling 17 points, including two goals. In 2008-09, he played seven games with Florida before joining Tampa Bay. Murphy appeared in 25 games with the Lightning. On the season, he scored five goals and assisted on 11 tallies.
Murphy’s current stint with ZSC marks a return to Europe, a place in which he spent six seasons from 2001 through 2007. Murphy last played in Europe in 2005-06 as part of the Swiss National League. He completed 44 games for HC Fribourg Gottéron and scored 13 goals while setting up 22 tallies.
The team was selected by Brad Pascall, Hockey Canada’s executive vice-president of hockey operations/national teams, and Mark Black, Hockey Canada’s manager of hockey operations/national teams, along with head coach Mark Messier (Edmonton, Alta.) and assistant coaches Doug Shedden (Wallaceburg, Ont.) and Bill Moores (Edmonton, Alta.).
“The players we have selected today are Canadian ambassadors for the game in Europe, and we are thrilled they have committed to wear the maple leaf and try to bring home another Spengler Cup championship for Canada,” says Pascall.
In addition, Serge Aubin (Val-d’Or, Que.) has been named Canada’s captain for the 2010 This year’s Spengler Cup will include Canada’s National Men’s Team, Genève Servette (Switzerland), SKA St. Petersburg (Russia), Sparta Prague (Czech Republic), Spartak Moscow (Russia) and HC Davos (Switzerland), the host team.
Canada has appeared in eight of the last ten championship games, winning the Spengler Cup in 2002, 2003 and 2007. Overall, Canada’s National Men’s Team has won the Spengler Cup 11 times (1984, 1986, 1987, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2007) since first taking part in the tournament in 1984.
The Spengler Cup, held annually since 1923, is the oldest professional international hockey tournament in the world.
