RALEIGH, NC – Jim Rutherford, President and General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, today announced that the team has agreed to terms with defenseman Ryan Murphy on a three-year, entry-level contract. Beginning with his first full professional season, the contract will pay Murphy $832,500 per season at the NHL level or $70,000 per season at the minor-league level. Murphy receives a $277,500 signing bonus as a part of the contract.

"Ryan is a gifted offensive defenseman," said Rutherford. "He skates extremely well and is dynamic with the puck. He put up very impressive numbers as a 17 year old in the OHL, and he’s put himself in a position to push for a spot on the NHL level."

Murphy, 18, completed his second OHL season in 2010-11, ranking second among all Ontario Hockey League defensemen with 79 points (26g, 53a) in 63 regular-season games. The Aurora, Ont., native’s 26 goals led all OHL blue liners and ranked second among defensemen across all three of Canada’s major-junior leagues. His 53 assists ranked tied for second among OHL defensemen. Murphy (5’11”, 176 lbs.) posted 33 assists last season when Kitchener held a manpower advantage, ranking third among OHL skaters in that category. He was named OHL defenseman of the month after posting 18 points in October 2010. His career statistics are below.

Earlier this year, Murphy was named the top defenseman at the 2011 International Ice Hockey Federation World Men’s Under-18 Championship in Germany. He led Team Canada in scoring with 13 points (4g, 9a) in seven games as the Canadians finished fourth. A year earlier, Murphy captured a silver medal with Team Ontario in the 2010 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge. In December 2010, he attended Canada’s National Junior Team’s selection camp in Toronto.

Under the guidelines of the NHL’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, Murphy may still be reassigned to his junior hockey team, Kitchener, but may not be assigned to the Hurricanes’ American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers.