Matt Murray and Matt Murray win on the same day in the AHL

A very unique occurrence happened in the American Hockey League on Saturday.

On the second day of the 2024-25 season, goaltenders Matt Murray and Matt Murray earned wins, marking the first time in league history that two netminders with the same name were victorious on the same day.

The more well-known Murray, two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Pittsburgh Penguins, posted an 18-save performance for the Toronto Maple Leafs’ primary affiliate, the Toronto Marlies, in a 4-3 win over the San Diego Gulls, the Anaheim Ducks’ AHL club.

The other Murray, known for winning an NCAA National Championship with the University of Massachusetts, made 31 saves for the Nashville Predators’ top farm team, the Milwaukee Admirals, in a 4-1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes‘ primary affiliate, the Chicago Wolves.

It is certainly not the first time the two goaltenders have won in the same league in the same season. In 2022-23, while one Murray was full-time with the Leafs, the other Murray picked up his first NHL win while as a member of the Dallas Stars. Last season, both Murrays had wins in the AHL, as the younger Murray had a great season with the Texas Stars, with Toronto’s Murray was spending time with the Marlies after recovering from offseason surgery.

The Leafs’ Murray is back in the AHL this season after being placed on waivers. The veteran netminder signed a one-year contract extension with Toronto back in July but was pushed down the depth chart with the solid play of Anthony Stolarz and Dennis Hildeby during the preseason, along with the notion of Joseph Woll would start the season as the No. 1 goaltender.

The younger Murray came to the Predators’ organization after two-plus seasons with the Stars, the team that signed him out of college in 2022. The 26-year-old signed a one-year, $775,000 contract with Smashville this past offseason.