clarinews@clarinet.com (WILL DUNHAM, UPI Sports Writer) (01/17/90)
LANDOVER, Md. (UPI) -- Despite confessing to mixed emotions over replacing fired older brother Bryan Murray, new Washington Capitals Coach Terry Murray said Tuesday he had to ``jump on board'' when offered an NHL head coaching job. Terry Murray, 39, served six seasons as an assistant under his brother before serving the past two seasons as head coach of the Capitals' farm team, the Baltimore Skipjacks of the American Hockey League. Terry Murray was hired Monday to replace Bryan Murray, 47, the club's winningest coach. Bryan Murray guided the team to a 343-246-83 mark in nine seasons and won the Patrick Division title last season, but the Capitals never advanced past the divisional playoffs. ``There's compassion there for your brother. I would certainly be remiss if I misled you to think anything different,'' Terry Murray said. ``I love my brother. It's there. It's a very close family. It's hard. It tugs on the heart strings. But Bryan called me and congratulated me and told me he would help me in any way. We're still brothers, we're still close and let's move on from here.'' But Terry Murray said he never considered not accepting Monday's offer from Capitals General Manager David Poile. ``The train only goes by so many times. You've got to jump on board,'' Terry Murray said. ``I've been in the coaching business for eight years and this is the first time that the phone has rang. I answered it and I wanted the job. ``No question there were mixed emotions about it, whenever you're brother is the guy you're replacing,'' he added. ``But we are in a business, a big business, and we do what has to be done sometimes in order to be successful.'' Terry and Bryan Murray grew up in Shawville, Quebec, with three other brothers and five sisters. ``I certainly think that's a good choice -- and not only because he's my brother,'' Bryan Murray said. ``He did a hell of a job as an assistant here and he's done very well in Baltimore. He's very deserving.'' Terry Murray held a team meeting Tuesday morning at the Capital Centre. His first game behind the bench was set for Tuesday night at home against the New Jersey Devils. Bryan Murray was fired in the middle of an eight-game losing streak -- the club's longest since 1981. The Capitals were last in the division and owned the fourth-worst record in the NHL. Entering Tuesday night's action, the they stood eight points out of first place in the division. In his first official act as coach, Terry Murray, after consultation with Poile, dismissed assistant coach Doug MacLean and said he will complete this season with just one assistant, Rob Laird. MacLean was hired by Bryan Murray as Terry Murray's replacement when he was named head coach of the Skipjacks. Laird is in his first season as a Capitals assistant. Terry Murray said he will mold the team to match his coaching philosophy, which is similar to his brother's style on defense but more aggressive on offense. Many Capitals said they were surprised that one brother would be fired and another hired for the job. ``It's unusual, that's all I can say,'' said team captain Rod Langway, the veteran defenseman. Langway said the team's problems were not Bryan Murray's fault. ``You've got to blame the guys on the ice. The coach can only do so much,'' Langway said. ``As a man to a man, I can't say enough about Bryan Murray.'' Said right wing Dino Ciccarelli: ``He's the easy scapegoat, because he's just one guy and you can't get rid of 20 guys (the players). We've got to take some of the blame ourselves as a team because we're not winning.''