Cassidy to Bring Stanley Cup® to Massachusetts in Tribute to Local Teen

In a display of enduring friendship and a deep personal desire to help families touched by grief and loss, Bruce Cassidy, head coach of the 2023 Stanley Cup® champion Vegas Golden Knights, will bring the Stanley Cup® trophy to the Boston suburb of Milton, Massachusetts on Thursday, July 13th. Coach Cassidy will help launch the Cassidy Murray Foundation, a newly created non-profit dedicated to expanding educational opportunities and supporting the mental health needs of individuals navigating unthinkable tragedy. The foundation is named for 13-year-old Cassidy Murray, who lived in Milton and died tragically in Aruba in 2022 when she was struck by the boat pulling her and her father on a water tube.

Cassidy Murray was a bright-eyed teenager with a beautiful spirit, genuinely kind heart, bright mind, and a joyful zest for life. At the time of her death, Cassidy Murray was a seventh-grade student at Buckingham Browne and Nichols School in Cambridge, Mass. Her classmate and dear friend was Shannon Cassidy, daughter of Coach Cassidy and his wife Julie.

"I will never forget the day that Cass bounced through our front door and beamed with excitement as she told her dad and me about her new friend Shannon," said Cassidy Murray's mother, Linda Murray. "They bonded over the similarity in their names and, along with their other friend, Mary, became a trio of soul sisters. Shannon even convinced Cass -a lifelong gymnast and softball player- to take up hockey at BB&N. She took her brother's old equipment, a few pointers from Bruce and Shannon, and hit the ice!"

In the days following Cassidy Murray's death in Aruba in March 2022, Bruce Cassidy hosted her family at the TD Garden in Boston where he presented Linda, Dave, and their son, Adam, with a jersey bearing Cassidy Murray's name and favorite number.

"Bruce and Julie Cassidy have been with us since our world turned upside down," said Cassidy Murray's father, Dave Murray. "They have sat in our home, invited us into theirs, and given us strength and encouragement, especially as we ventured out into the public eye to urge Aruba to make critical changes to water safety laws so that no family ever again experiences our pain."

For 15 months, Dave and Linda Murray have worked tirelessly to make changes to recreational boating safety rules in Aruba. On the very day that their daughter was to graduate 7th grade, the Murrays met via Zoom with the Prime Minister of Aruba, begging her to do the right thing and implement reforms. Specifically, they have asked for the mandating of spotters on boats, something they say would have saved their daughter's life.

"In recent days, we received our first shred of promising news that Aruba might finally be listening to us when it comes to spotters," said Linda Murray. "Sadly, we're no strangers to empty promises and have to wait to see change before we can believe it will happen. But we thank Congressman Stephen Lynch and America's chief diplomat in Aruba, Consul General Margy Bond, for their promise to our family that they will continue to push Aruba to change its rules in the name of safety."

"Julie and I marvel at Linda and Dave's commitment to helping others despite a crushing grief that few of us can even imagine," said coach Bruce Cassidy. "Cassidy Murray would have been with our family celebrating this summer had life not taken such a cruel and terrible twist. We cannot think of a better way to honor this beautiful girl and her parents' noble commitment to others than by coming to Boston to bring attention to the foundation in her name."

The Cassidy Murray Foundation aims to help families who are plunged into grief following a tragic loss. Specifically, the foundation hopes to increase access to mental health resources including trauma and grief therapy. It will also work to expand educational opportunities for young people.

"We learned instantly the unimaginable depth of pain that washes over you when a loved one is taken so senselessly," said Linda Murray. "We grieve every hour of every day. But we are able to find some degree of strength to stand and honor our daughter's legacy because of a wonderful grief therapist who came into our lives in those first dark days."

Linda and Dave Murray will use this first phase of launching the foundation in their daughter's name to consult with mental health experts to understand how best the Cassidy Murray Foundation can help those grieving after a tragic loss.

"When it comes to therapy, we recognize how fortunate we are to have found such a caring, experienced therapist at a time when mental health experts are in such high demand," said Dave Murray. "You're lucky if you can find someone. Then you need to figure out if you can afford them since many don't take insurance. This is all heartbreakingly new and unfamiliar to us, but we feel it is part of our mission to help others navigate this process in some small way."

Dave Murray added: "Our precious little girl would want us to do this. And she would love seeing Bruce Cassidy and his family by our side. We are so grateful to them."

Details of event with Coach Bruce Cassidy and the Stanley Cup®trophy on July 13th in Milton, Mass. will be provided via a separate media advisory at a later date.

Contacts:

For The Cassidy Murray Foundation & The Murray Family
Ed Keohane
[email protected]

For Coach Bruce Cassidy & Vegas Golden Knights
Nate Ewell
[email protected]