Former North Stars player and coach Murray Oliver died Sunday after a heart attack.
Ex-North Star Murray Oliver dies at 77
By STAFF REPORTS
November 24, 2014 at 1:44PM
Oliver, 77, lived in Edina.
He was born in Hamilton, Ontario, and played in the NHL for the Detroit Red Wings (1957-61), Boston Bruins (1961-67), Toronto Maple Leafs (1967-70) and North Stars (1970-75).
In 1,127 NHL games, the 5-10, 165-pound playmaking center scored 274 goals and had 454 assists and made five All-Star teams.
Oliver was an assistant coach for the North Stars from 1978-86, and was head coach for 36 games in 1982-83 when Glen Sonmor stepped aside for health reasons. The Stars finished second in the Norris Division and won a first-round playoff series against Toronto that season.
He was runner-up to Bill Hay of the Blackhawks for the NHL's top rookie award, the Calder Trophy, in 1960 after scoring 20 goals for the Red Wings.
Oliver's career high in points was 68 in 1963-64 for Boston during a stretch where he scored at least 20 goals in three consecutive seasons. He had 56 points for the North Stars in 1971-72.
Oliver scouted for the Vancouver Canucks before retiring.
Services are pending.
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STAFF REPORTS
Widely known that Minnesota sports fans are among the most suffering in the nation, this holiday season has the chance to become special, given the recent success of the Vikings, Wolves, Lynx and Wild.
