Troy Murray has had an up-and-down year.
Back in August of 2021, Murray was diagnosed with cancer, a battle he's still fighting.
“It’s been a little over a year now since I was diagnosed with cancer," Murray said on NBC Sports Chicago's Blackhawks Talk podcast. "There were some really tough times. But, I’ve responded well lately to the treatments and put myself in a position where I feel I can continue with the broadcast.
“It’s always gonna be an ongoing battle but at this point I’m happy where I’m at.”
Murray has continued with the broadcast since his diagnosis, one he picked up back in 2006 with John Wiedeman on the radio.
Just over a year later, Eddie Olczyk departed from the Blackhawks as the team's mainstay color broadcaster. He served with legend play-by-play broadcaster Pat Foley for 16 years. The duo called three Stanley Cup Championships for the Hawks. Murray did the same for radio.
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On Thursday, the Hawks announced Olczyk's successor will be a combination of two former Hawks players -- Patrick Sharp and Murray.
Murray is thrilled to build chemistry with Chris Vosters similar to how hockey players build a relationship in the locker room, as he mentioned.
He's also interested to learn the differences between radio and television. Murray mentioned needing to talk in between breaks on the radio, whereas on television, it's important to be active all the time and even more with color comments during action.
Sharp and Murray's joint hire was a no-brainer for the Hawks. Murray played 12 seasons with the Hawks in the 80s and has been on broadcast since the 90s. He knows the ins-and-outs of the Hawks and the history of the NHL.
What's more, he's passionate about holding the microphone and takes it to heart.
“It means a lot to me. It’s a big part of my life," Murray said. "I’m very fortunate that it’s been about 20 years since I’ve been doing it.”