City Council honors Dover native and Hall-of-Famer Brian Murphy

posted on 2/2/2024

Dover Mayor Robert Carrier and the City Council recognized Dover native Brian Murphy's induction into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in December by presenting him with a proclamation at the Jan. 24 City Council meeting.

Brian Murphy, a Dover High School and University of New Hampshire alumnus, has a storied career in hockey officiating, highlighted by over 2,000 regular-season games in the National Hockey League (NHL) and nine Stanley Cup finals. His international acclaim includes officiating at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games and the World Cup of Hockey. Murphy started refereeing games at the Dover Ice Arena while attending the University of New Hampshire. He also operated the Zamboni at the Dover Arena.

"Brian Murphy has achieved an extraordinary milestone as one of only eight individuals in the history of the National Hockey League to officiate over 2,000 regular season games during his illustrious 32-year career from 1988 to 2020," the mayor said, reading from the proclamation.

Accepting the proclamation, Murphy dedicated the honor to those instrumental in building the first Dover ice rink. 

"In the office at my house, there's a picture of seven or eight businessmen from the mid-1970s who raised $250,000 to build the original rink," Murphy said. "If those things don't happen, these things don't happen. So, I accept this very appreciatively, but those people who raised the money back in the mid-seventies and built the rink really deserve this."

Mayor Carrier also presented Murphy with a key to the city.