Deep Ink: Matt Murray

Matt Murray had heard it before: “When you get one tattoo, you’re going to want another.” And once he ventured into the realm of getting ink on his body, he proved to be yet another example that the saying holds true.

In this installment of Deep Ink, presented by Kraken Rum, we explore the meanings behind all of the Kraken goaltender’s ink.

Murray got his first body art in 2018 from a tattoo artist named Amy (Murray apologizes for not remembering her last name!). It was a recommendation from then-Penguins’ teammate, Kris Letang. The Pittsburgh defender has gotten quite a few tattoos himself, so Murray trusted the advice and headed in to get his first.

Ironically, Murray’s initial tattoo doesn’t just commemorate a “first,” it commemorates a “second” as well. In the goaltender’s first two seasons in the NHL, he was a significant piece in two consecutive Stanley Cup runs by the Penguins. To mark the achievements, he had a “17” tattooed inside the middle finger of his right hand, and a “16” inked on the inside of his right ring finger.

“I wanted to get something to obviously commemorate (the championships), but I wanted it to be subtle,” Murray said smiling. “They're on the same fingers that the rings are fitted for. I know which one goes on which finger in case you forget, because they are sized differently so they wouldn't fit if they weren't on the proper fingers.”

Now bitten by the tattoo bug, shortly thereafter, “maybe the next day,” Murray went back to get a tattoo for his then- girlfriend, Christina, who became his wife two years later.

“It was a tribute to her,” Murray said. “A ‘c’ for her first name, a rose and a crown, because she's the queen.”

Did Christina know about the tattoo ahead of time? Murray was quick to praise his wife’s “good taste” and said he did consult with her ahead of time in terms of what she might want it to look like.

And as for the placement inside his left wrist? There’s not a ton of symbolism, but it means a quick glance keeps Christina close at all times.

“I wanted to be able to look down and see it whenever I was thinking about her, or whatever the case may be,” Murray said. “And I just thought it looked cool, especially the way it sits with the watch.”

Murray then added another tattoo. He keeps it under wraps but shared that it’s on his left bicep and is a reference to an oration given in 1910 by former U.S. President, Theodore Roosevelt. The tattoo reads “The Man in the Arena.”

That phrase refers to a part of Roosevelt’s “Citizenship in a Republic” speech that has resonated throughout the years for its message of striving to achieve even while risking failure, versus simply criticizing from the sidelines. The full copy reads:

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

Murray first learned of the phrase when LeBron James wrote “man in the arena” on his sneakers. Intrigued, he looked up what it meant. The message resonated with him as someone who’s “in the arena frequently.”

“It's a very powerful speech and very powerful words, and something that I definitely related to,” Murray said. “I felt strongly enough (about it to get it tattooed on my arm). I think it's a good reminder. What I take from it is to always dare greatly and to not worry about the criticism or the people watching. You're the one who's actually in the arena, and you may lose, but at the end of the day, at least you're the one in there, battling and trying your hardest. I think that's a great message.”

While Murray hasn’t gotten any new tattoos since, “I kind of went on a tear,” he laughs, he knows more body art is in his future. After realizing the pain wasn’t as bad as he thought, he has some ideas in his head of what will come next.

“At some point I want to get my kids’ names and their birthdays,” Murray said. “I can't remember where I saw this, but the first family picture that your kids draw? I’d like to get that on my arm somewhere or something like that, I think that would be cool.

“I'm definitely open to get more, and I'm sure I will one day.”

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Photography by Chris Mast