Friday Forecheck: Murchison Makes the Most of NHL Recall

Flyers rookie defenseman Ty Murchison did not take his National Hockey League debut for granted. Drafted by the Flyers in the fifth round (158th overall) of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, Murchison played four seasons of collegiate hockey at Arizona State and parts of the 2024-25 and current seasons in the American Hockey League with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

The California native, who started out with inline roller skating, started playing ice hockey a little bit later than the majority of players who reach the NHL. A product of the famed US National Team Development Program, Murchison's role has never been focused on bringing offense from the blueline.

Consequently, Murchison largely flew under the pundit radar as he developed his game. Murchison's assets are his size (6-foot-2, 205 pounds) and physicality combined with above-average mobility. He impressed in a four-game cup of coffee with the Phantoms last season and built upon it this season in 21 games. Prior to his call up, Murchison led the Phantoms with a plus-nine rating.

Murchison admits that he became emotional when he contacted his parents, Ken and Allyson, to inform them of his first NHL recall.

"It was early morning back in Arizona, so I woke them up. I got choked up trying to get the words out. As soon as I told my mom, she was screaming for my dad to get in the room," the affable player said.

Murchison did not appear in any preseason NHL games before the Flyers assigned him to the Phantoms. However, Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet liked what he saw during camp.

"He's a culture guy. I thought from Day 1, he was really impressing me in practice. He was pissing guys off, he was blowing up guys on cycles and stuff like that. And he has played really well," Tocchet told reporters.

In the meantime, Murchison settled right in again with the Phantoms once the AHL season started. He regularly earned positive reviews from coach John Snowden and the Flyers Hockey Operations staff.

Additionally, the player quickly became a popular figure in the Phantoms' locker room and among the fans in Allentown. When Murchison made his NHL debut this week, Phantoms rookie goaltender Carson Bjarnason made the trip to Philadelphia sporting a Phantoms jersey with his buddy's name and number.

Earlier in the day, Murchison sat in the Xfinity Mobile Arena stands, taking in the atmosphere where he'd soon make his NHL pro debut. He admits that he felt nervous.

As with all players making their NHL debut, Murchison's teammates had him step out on the ice first and take a solo lap around the ice before they joined him for the pregame warmup. Murchison's rookie lap was a bit different from most, however.

Teammates played a mini-joke on the player. When he went to put on his helmet, Murchison found that the visor had been removed. Only later did he get it back for the game.

For his part, Murchison wasn't immediately worried about his visor. Rather, his one thought was "don't fall."

Partnered with veteran Noah Juulsen, Murchison dished out three hits and blocked a shot in 14:14 of ice time against the San Jose Sharks. He functioned well with veteran partner Noah Juulsen. Murchison even played 60 seconds on the penalty kill in his debut.

"He talked to me (on the ice) as much as anyone's ever talked to me. Very loud guy! But he made it super easy. A ton of feedback, a ton of help. He was amazing," Murchison said after the game.

Along with Bjarnason, Murchison had a cheering section of family members and about 20 friends from various locales. After the game, his Flyers teammates completed the rookie's special night by awarding him the Bernie Parent replica mask they've given to their Player of the Game after a win.

On Thursday against the Vegas Golden Knights, Murchison made his presence known right away. On his first shift of the game, he delivered a big hit at the blueline to Braeden Bowman. Overall, he was plus-one with one shot on goal in 13:41 of ice time.

The Flyers have some roster decisions to make in upcoming days. Cam York (day-to-day, upper body) had an intensive practice on Thursday and is nearing a return. Meanwhile, veteran Rasmus Ristolainen could be activated from Injured Reserve ahead of the leaguewide holiday break.

Murchison is doing his part to make the decisions a bit tougher for general manager Daniel Briere. Even if he does return to Lehigh Valley due to the numbers game, Murchison will have left a positive first impression -- and a statement that he intends to be part of the mix moving forward.