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FN AHL Report Cards: Connor Murphy brought consistency and composure when called upon

Photo credit: David Moll/Calgary Wranglers

By Paige Siewert

Jul 13, 2026, 12:00 EDTUpdated: Jul 13, 2026, 00:01 EDT

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Connor Murphy has been in the Calgary Flames’ system since he graduated from Union College of the NCAA in the 2022-23 season. He has been primarily an ECHL netminder who can easily be called upon in the AHL when needed. This year, he had to make a quick same day trip to be available to back up in Abbotsford in January. He’s been a good sport about his role and provides a composed game between the pipes that his teammates at both levels can rely on.

What were the expectations for Connor Murphy in 2025-26?

Connor Murphy was expected to fall down the depth chart a bit this year as the Flames had Dustin Wolf, Devin Cooley, Arsenii Sergeev, Ivan Prosvetov, and Owen Say signed ahead of him to develop. He wouldn’t necessarily be the first call up anymore and was expected to spend most of the season with the Rapid City Rush of the ECHL.

Last season, Murphy played in just four Wranglers games and the maximum amount of games he played in the AHL in one season was 15 in the 2023-24 season. In his four games, he has a 4.14 GAA, an .881 GAA and a 2-2-0 record. In the ECHL, he played in 25 games with the Rush, had a 3.02 GAA, a .914 save percentage and a 12-8-4 record.

Murphy has been used as a contingent goaltender when call-up’s or injuries come up between the pipes for the Wranglers or Flames. He was relied on in the back half of last season to be an option in net when Devin Cooley went down with a concussion and was unable to participate in playoffs.

How did Connor Murphy perform in 2025-26?

Murphy ended up playing in more games than the previous season with seven appearances with the Wranglers. The tandem of Dustin Wolf and Devin Cooley was pretty locked at the NHL level and in the AHL, longer term injuries to Ivan Prosvetov and Owen Say took away the Rush’s regular starter, Arsenii Sergeev and needed to pull Murphy up at times as well. In his seven games with the Wranglers, Murphy had a 2.95 GAA, a .914 save percentage and a 2-2-1 record.

In Rapid City, he played the most games he’s played in the ECHL in a single season with 14 more than the season prior with 39 games. His stats finished with a 16-19-4 record, a 3.29 GAA and a .914 save percentage. Murphy served as a reliable netminder for two very inconsistent teams.

What’s the future outlook for Connor Murphy?

An unrestricted free agent, Murphy has reportedly signed a contract with the Coachella Valley Firebirds for the coming season – it hasn’t yet been announced by Coachella Valley, but it’s not uncommon for AHL deals to be announced closer to the start of training camp.

Tony Androckitis*

@TonyAndrock

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🚨 AHL SIGNING SCOOP 🚨 @AHLWranglers UFA goalie Connor Murphy is signing an AHL deal with Coachella Valley @Firebirds. Murphy, 27, went 2-2-1 in 7 AHL appearances in 2025-26 with a 2.95 GAA & .904 SV%. @InsideAHLHockey #AHLFreeAgency26

6:46 PM · Jul 4, 2026

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