Veteran defenseman Douglas Murray is hanging up his skates, he told Tomas Ros of Aftonbladet (link in Swedish). While he believes he can still play in the NHL, he hadn’t received a contract offer and evidently was not interested in pursuing another contract in a different league.
Murray last played in the NHL with Montreal in 2013-14, picking up two assists in 52 games. He secured a tryout deal with Calgary late in 2014-15 as well as the 2015 preseason but was unable to secure a contract. Between those two NHL teams, he also suited up in eight games in Germany with Kolner Haie in 2014-15.
The 36 year old is a player whose skill set was highly valued several years ago but since then, players like him have been phased out of the league. Murray was best known for his physicality and willingness to block shots although he was far from the best of skaters. As the NHL shifts towards more speed and puck skills, the demand for players like Murray has subsided quickly.
For his career, Murray played in 518 games, mostly with San Jose with brief stints in Pittsburgh and Montreal as well. He scored just seven goals while adding 57 assists but added 412 penalty minutes, 1,097 hits, and 756 blocked shots spending most of his time as a stay-at-home third pairing defenseman.