Despite battling stage 4 colon cancer and suggesting at the tail end of last year that this would likely be his final season at the helm of the franchise, Ottawa Senators GM Bryan Murray indicated to reporters this weekend that he feels re-energized heading into the 2015-16 season and that it may not be his last after all.
"I feel pretty good," Murray said, via Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun.
"I'm not sure where I am at the moment. I'm at the end of my general manager's contract and I'm not pushing to do anything there. I'm just going to, in all likelihood I'll step back, but that's not absolute. I haven't talked to (owner) Eugene (Melnyk) about it at all really."
The 72-year-old Murray had said this past May that 2015-16 was likely to be his final one with the franchise, citing a lack of energy and the "sickness" that has stemmed from his battle with cancer, which he revealed in July 2014.
It's not hard to see why Murray may feel energized around the Sens. The team got much younger very quickly and went on an improbable run to the playoffs to end last season. While Murray likely won't be stepping behind the bench as he did in 2007 when the Senators made it to the Cup finals, simply being around a team that seemed to enjoy something of a rebirth last season probably does much for his general outlook.
It's an outlook that seems to remain positive even as his cancer battle rages and his future remains uncertain.
"I've talked to my wife (Geri) about it and there's no question that we better give some time to our family and do a little bit," Murray told Garrioch. "But it's kind of energizing to come here, be around the young players and getting it going again.
"This is the fun part of our lives."
