When it came time for the Senators to embark on a rebuild in 2011 and shed some veterans, former Senators forward Mike Fisher is still grateful for Murray trading him to the Nashville Predators so Fisher could be close to his wife, singer Carrie Underwood.
"I'm not surprised because I know the kind of person Bryan is. I loved him as a coach and GM," Fisher said. "Bryan's awesome. He's right up there. I still mention his name to guys when coaching comes up, different guys you've played for. He's one of my favorites for sure. He was a players' coach who made it fun. A lot of humor, too. I loved playing for him.
"You always knew where you stood. He knew exactly what he wanted out of each guy and he knew how to communicate that. He's awesome."
Murray said being recognized as the first member of the Ring of Honour takes on special significance after former Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson had his No. 11 retired Dec. 29.
"It is special. There's no question," Murray said. "Daniel Alfredsson being the first sweater to be retired, he was an outstanding, unbelievable player, and to be even put in the same train of thought, really, is nice. Certainly being the first guy (to be named to the Ring of Honour), there will be others, many more, I hope, along the way, but to be the first guy is real nice."
The Ring of Honour, established in August by the Senators player honoring committee, will be located on the 300 level of Canadian Tire Centre.
"In my books, he is one of the easiest to pick for the Ring of Honour," Senators owner Eugene Melnyk said. "Right now there is no No. 2. He is certainly the best GM we've had. I think Bryan Murray is going to be seen, looking backwards, as one of the great legacies of the franchise.
"We went through a lot, good times, bad times, but at the end of the day, he is as professional and stoic as it takes to be a good GM. He could handle pressure, but he could also enjoy the victories, which is great."