Murray Williamson

Murray Williamson
 * Born: January 13, 1934 in Winnipeg, Manitoba
 * Position: Left Wing, Coach, General Manager, & Executive

While playing senior hockey in Eveleth, Minnesota, Williamson was noticed by the legendary coach John Mariucci and was recruited to play for the University of Minnesota in 1955. His hockey skills eventually culminated with West All-American honors in 1959. Following a short semi-pro career in Ontario, Williamson took on the role as player/coach and general manager of the St. Paul Steers in the USHL from 1962-1966. That team eventually became the U.S. National Team launching Williamson into an illustrious international coaching career beginning with the World Tournament in Vienna, Austria, in 1967 and continuing through the World Junior Tournament in Winnipeg, Canada in 1974. In 1970, he coached the U.S. Team to the gold medal in the World Championships. And in the 1972 Olympic at Sapporo, Japan, Williamson's guidance over the U.S. National Team shook the world with a silver medal. Also winning the silver medal at World Championships. The 1972 team compiled an impressive domestic record of 60 wins, 6 losses, and 4 ties.

As a coach and a mentor, Williamson was active in promoting the sport of hockey to youth hockey players from all over the world. In 1968, he helped to co-find the first formal Youth Hockey Camp in the world at Bemidji, MN. Through his active participation spanning thirty-two years, he has been instrumental in helping teach hockey skills to over 30,000 youth hockey players from over 423 states and 15 foreign countries.

Williamson also worked for Minnesota North Stars of the National Hockey League, first as an adviser to owner and Team President Walter Bush, and later as Team Vice President.

In 1973, Williamson was behind the formation of two hockey projects that are still in operation today; the formation of the six team Midwest Junior Hockey League (known as the USHL Junior League), and the U.S. National Junior Team, which he coached in the first ever World Junior Championships in Leningrad, Russia.

Always striving to promote hockey, Williamson in 1980, became very active to develop the founding committee for the creation of the Hobey Baker Memorial Award and helped to implement the program. In 2005, Williamson was awarded the Hobey Baker Foundation's Legends of College Hockey Award. Williamson was inducted into the Massachusetts Hockey Hall of Fame in 2000. And the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 2005, the University of Minnesota Athletic Hall of Fame in 2008, and the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame in 2009.

Awards & Achievements

 * NCAA West All-American (1959)
 * United States Hockey League Championship (1966)
 * Coached in IIHF World Championship (1967, 1969, 1970, 1971, & 1972)
 * Coached in Winter Olympics (1968 & 1972), winning Silver in 1972
 * Coached in World Junior Championship (1973 & 1974)
 * Inducted into Massachusetts Hockey Hall of Fame (2000)
 * Hobey Baker Legends of College Hockey Award (2005)
 * Inducted into United States Hockey Hall of Fame (2005)
 * Inducted into University of Minnesota Athletic Hall of Fame (2008)
 * Inducted into Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame (2009)