Finding Murph, Rick Westhead
Finding Murph, Rick Westhead
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Finding Murph
How Joe Murphy Went From Winning a Championship to Living Homeless in the Bush

Author: Rick Westhead

Narrator: Brandon Massey

Unabridged: 10 hr 30 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 10/13/2020


Synopsis

National BestsellerFinalist for the Kobo Emerging Writer PrizeJOE MURPHY HAD IT ALL. In 1986, he became the first college-educated hockey player selected first overall in the NHL entry draft. He won a Stanley Cup in Edmonton four years later. But since then, his life has taken a tragic turn, largely due to the untreated brain injuries he suffered as a player.Murphy’s life didn’t begin on a track that would lead to homelessness. He was smart, dedicated to hockey and was a key player for the Oilers, Red Wings and Blackhawks, among other teams. But one vicious body check changed his life forever. Despite being shaken by the hit, Murphy was cleared to return to the game. Soon after, his entire life seemed to change. Murphy became a journeyman, moving from team to team. Along the way, other NHLers said they noticed something different about him, too. Murphy wasn’t acting like himself and soon found himself out of the NHL entirely. Eventually, Murphy became homeless.In the spring of 2018, Murphy made his way to Kenora, Ontario, where he lived in the bush, spending his days outside a local convenience store, muttering to himself and taking handouts of food and drinks from passersby. The player who had once set the NHL aflame now slept by the side of the road in the unforgiving North. In Finding Murph, Rick Westhead traces the true story of Joe Murphy and examines the role of the NHL in the downward spiral of one of the league’s most promising players.

About Rick Westhead

RICK WESTHEAD is a senior correspondent for TSN and a contributor to CTV National News and W5. An award-winning investigative journalist with twenty-five years of experience, Westhead explores important issues in sports and offers his own unique perspective on the stories he breaks. Prior to joining TSN, Westhead served as a contributor to the New York Times and was a foreign affairs writer for the Toronto Star, where he also covered sports business. He was born in Oakville, Ontario, and raised in Burlington.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Joshua on March 17, 2022

A must read for someone who is interested in CTE or wants to learn about the effects of the disease. Truly unbelievable as a hockey fan, to read about a first overall pick, Stanley cup champion, and what happened after his career was over.......more

Goodreads review by Jen on July 05, 2021

3 1/2. Full disclosure- This was my husband’s book. I grabbed it on a recent flight as I had finished the book I brought, so it’s not my normal reading material. Interesting background into traumatic brain injuries and concussion syndrome, and really disappointing reading about how the NHL has and c......more

Goodreads review by Kathryn on February 23, 2025

first, absolutely amazing book! like sooooooooooooooo good. however! genuinely sick to my stomach after reading this! gary bettman deserves jail time! i think very definitely the most impressive work of investigative journalism i have ever seen and the most amazingly comprehensive account of head in......more

Goodreads review by David on December 15, 2021

Tough read. It did seem that the author blames all of Murphy’s issues on concussions/head injuries. His symptoms are more consistent with schizophrenia and by not interviewing the family in depth he left out possibly a major contributor to the problem. His ex-wife was glossed over as well. I think t......more

Goodreads review by Anbey on June 25, 2024

There are guys falling through the cracks, big guys. Think about being on top of the food chain for all the years that guys play in the NHL. Whether it's fame or fortune or all the stuff that goes along with being one of the top 700 players who do their craft, it's a pretty damned good chapter of li......more