Rookie defenceman Logan Kelly-Murphy excited to join hometown Panthers
As a boy, Logan Kelly-Murphy loved taking in a UPEI Men's Hockey game with his family and revelled in the joy of watching his hometown heroes compete on the ice.
He looked up to players like Harrison McIver and Travis McIsaac, who, like himself, were “hockey fiends,” born and raised on Prince Edward Island.
“They always competed with such high intensity and were role models for young players like me,” said Kelly-Murphy.
Several years later, Kelly-Murphy will now get an opportunity to suit up as a Panther and live out a childhood fantasy.
“It has been a long-time goal of mine to play for the Panthers,” said the China Point native, who will be studying sustainable design engineering at UPEI. “Not many get the chance to play university-level hockey for their hometown team, and when I was offered an opportunity, there was no question that’s where I wanted to be.”
Panthers head coach Forbes MacPherson has been grooming Kelly-Murphy for this moment for some time now, as the pair first met about eight years ago through Promac Hockey—a spring hockey program developed by MacPherson.
The program was designed to help young players develop their skills and climb through the PEI hockey ranks, and Kelly-Murphy was one of their “graduates.”
“Logan was one of our original Promac Jr. Panthers when we started many years ago,” MacPherson said. “He moved up through our major midget team and went on to play major junior, so Logan is one of those players I’ve had my eye on for a while, and I thought he was a good fit for our program.”
MacPherson recalls Kelly-Murphy being a reliable defender during his Jr. Panther days and expects more of the same from the rookie, as the Panthers aim to be a top-tier defensive unit once again. The Panther squad allowed only 69 goals in 22 games last season.
“He’s a big, strong kid who thinks D-zone first,” MacPherson said. “And from a character perspective, he brings a lot of strength and stability to the program.”
Last season, Kelly-Murphy proved to be that steady force along the blue line for the Maritime Junior Hockey League (MHL)-champion Summerside Western Capitals, who went on to represent the Maritimes at the 2022 Centennial Cup.
Before that, the 21-year-old played two seasons with the Cape Breton Eagles of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, where he recorded 13 points and 59 penalty minutes in 86 games.
“I believe I can bring a solid, reliable, and consistent game to the Panthers that will help bolster the blue line,” added Kelly-Murphy.
Kelly-Murphy has worked hard for this moment and understands what it means to represent a province, a university, and the youngsters in the stands who share his hockey dreams, and he isn’t taking this opportunity lightly.
“Being from the Island makes it much more of a privilege to play for the Panthers,” he said. “There is such a rich hockey history with UPEI, and I’m honoured to become a part of it.”
