Downtown Publications’ Kevin Elliott posted a profile of Fox Sports Detroit analyst Larry Murphy, and Murphy discusses the effects of winning two Stanley Cups with the Wings (1997 and 1998), as well as his job analyzing hockey games:
“Winning the Cup here in Detroit after the team had such a long dry spell, that was exciting for the city when we won. It’s ingrained in the fabric of the city. You only get that in an Original Six city,” Murphy said, referring to the six original NHL teams –Boston, Detroit, Chicago, Montreal, New York and Toronto – from 1942 to 1967.
After retiring from the NHL in 2001, Murphy began providing color commentary for a portion of Detroit’s West Coast road games for Fox Sports Detroit, along with former Wing Pat Verbeek. His duties expanded with the network until 2013, when he and the sports provider parted ways. This past Valentine’s Day, the network announced Murphy was returning to Fox Sports Detroit for the 2018-19 season. He said they are now in contract talks for the upcoming season.
“It’s a job that takes a lot out of you. I spend more time prepping than on the air. It’s a lot to know what’s going on in the league. Reading, watching and observing – that’s the biggest, most time consuming part of the job,” Murphy said. “You have to be aware of the players in the system and what they are doing. You have to be ready to go three or four questions deep on every player in the system.
“Watching is the easiest part. I enjoy watching the Wings play. That’s the easiest part of the job.”
