Scotty “Hockey” Murray has been part of the heartbeat of ice hockey in Thailand for decades. A Toronto kid who fell in love with the game at Maple Leaf Gardens, he followed his passion and his pen all the way to Bangkok, where he has spent the better part of his life building, chronicling, and celebrating a hockey community far from the winter rinks of his childhood. Today he is rightly known around the region as the “Godfather” of hockey in Bangkok.
On the ice, Scott has been a driving force behind the Flying Farangs and the expat–Thai hockey family that grew around late-night games in Bangkok’s shopping-mall rinks. Through leagues, tournaments, and countless pick-up nights, he helped create a home for anyone who showed up with skates, a stick, and a love of the game. Just as importantly, he welcomed generations of Thai players into that world, challenging and encouraging them as the level of play in the country rose year after year.
Off the ice, Scott’s greatest gifts have been his stories. In articles like “Hockey Night in Bangkok” and his many pieces on the history of Thai hockey, he captured the absurd joy of playing the world’s coldest sport in one of its hottest cities: the makeshift rinks, the scramble for equipment, the colourful characters who laced them up, and the friendships that kept everyone coming back. His writing made our little corner of the hockey world feel big, meaningful, and worth preserving.
Because of Scotty Murray, Bangkok is firmly on the hockey map. The Murray Cup honours his vision, his generosity, and his belief that hockey is more than a game – it is a community. Every team that hoists this trophy stands on the ice he helped create and carries forward the spirit he brought to Thailand and across Asia.
