CALEB NICKERSON
PONTIAC March 24, 2021
One of the athletes recognized in the Pontiac High School’s inaugural class of inductees has returned home to become a teacher and coach at his alma mater.
Luke Murphy grew up in Shawville and attended what was then Pontiac Protestant High School. He and his friends played a variety of sports in school and on their own time, but there was only one that . . .
dominated.
“I think all young boys in Shawville grow up with a hockey stick in their hands, I was no different,” he said. “It was hockey all the time, road hockey in the summers, ice hockey in the winters. You’d have your regular hockey practice with your team and at that time the outdoor rink was right outside the area, so after practice you’d get your skate guards on and walk out to the outdoor rink and play for another couple of hours. I definitely remember that … We didn’t have phones and all these fancy games … so we spent a lot of time outside.”
He played rugby, soccer and basketball at school, but only attended PPHS up to grade ten, when he moved to Pembroke to play with the Lumber Kings. Even in that short span he said the experience at PPHS was rewarding.
“I certainly learned a lot over the years from the great coaches we had, wasn’t just teachers,” he said. “Our minister, Stuart Marples, he coached the soccer team and I learned so much from him, obviously coming over here from across [the Atlantic] he was big in soccer. Jim Thompson too, he taught basketball. It was just, a real learning experience. I played as hard as I could and the coaches got everything out of me that they could. I was certainly a rewarding experience moving forward.”
He also had fond memories of Shawville minor hockey.
“When I was Bantam age I moved up to play Midget and we won the whole league that year,” he recalled. “That was really a great memory , because we didn’t have the most talented team, but we had a great group of guys and a hard-working team. To go through the playoffs the way we did … We certainly weren’t supposed to win. It was just such a great group of guys who I’m still friends with today.”
His first season in Pembroke, he was named rookie of the year and was also twice named the most sportsmanlike/skilled player for the Central Junior A Hockey League.
He received a scholarship to play NCAA hockey with the Rochester Institute of Technology, where he was a two-time Division Three All American. There he played under coach Eric Hoffberg, who he called a mentor.
“[He] was probably the best coach that I’ve had, he was just such a motivator and a great teacher of the game,” Murphy said. “He’s got kind of a tough job, he’s bringing in kids … turning them into adults … He’s kind of like a father and a brother and a coach and a leader.”
He said that he misses the camaraderie of those years.
“All of the guys that I went to college with are all adults now, we have our own families and kids and jobs, and we’re constantly talking to each other,” he said. “We often talk about the old times. A few years ago we had an alumni game at college, it was really cool to see all the guys again. Friendships for sure, are the things I cherish the most from my hockey experience. I miss the whole team mentality, going to war with the guys, that’s something that I’ll always remember.”
Murphy signed a minor league contract with the Florida Panthers in 1999 and played six seasons as a pro, which he said was a highlight. He distinctly recalled playing in the Florida camp and rubbing shoulders with some legends.
“Being around Pavel Bure and some of these elite hockey players that you’ve watched on TV and are just unbelievable,” he said. “Getting paid to do what I love that was pretty cool for sure. The biggest thing that sticks out for me is the places I got to visit and the people I got to meet.”
After retiring in 2005, Murphy worked at the mill for a time, before heading to teachers college in 2010. He eventually landed a gig at PHS five years ago and has been there ever since. He said that it was an honour to be recognized in the first class of inductees at the school where he now teaches.
“It was pretty cool, I think it’s always nice to be recognized for your hard work and your perseverance and your success,” he said. “Certainly, I wasn’t expecting it really. I know there’s a lot of people who deserve to be honoured and who eventually will be.”
“It’s pretty neat because there’s actually quite a few PPHS alumni working there, some who I was at high school with at the time,” he continued. “As you’re walking through the hallways, obviously things have changed a bit but it’s still the school you remember, trying to carry on the tradition that made it such a fun experience for students back when I went … It’s a long-standing tradition at PHS to have these teachers that really make an impact on students’ lives. I’d love to do the same thing, hopefully I am.”
