"(He) certainly [leads] by example more than anything, but he has a voice that people listen to," Murray said. "Also, just a tremendous sense of humor. He puts a smile on my face every time I talk to him. He's mature beyond his years."
Samuelsson (6-foot-4, 217 pounds) credits Murray for much of his success last season, as well as the experience of playing for and winning a silver medal with the United States at the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship.
"I just learned a lot about what will make me successful and what I need to do to get to the next level," Samuelsson said. "Andy Murray, he's a legend. He brings it out in me.
"Off the ice, just what kind of person I am and what type of people I want to be surrounded by. Obviously, college has a lot of distractions, so you have to find your niche and where you want to be and what will help you accomplish your dreams."
The progress Samuelsson showed throughout the season didn't go unnoticed and Murray expects that to fuel the defenseman's development even further.
"To me, he's an outstanding player and will be a Sabre for a long time," he said. "The mental maturity part of the game and just understanding with another year and moving to the next level that you need to make certain adjustments, and recognizing that every puck is important and you have to be consistent shift by shift."
Samuelsson is the third member of his family to be coached by Murray. His older brother, Lukas, will be a junior for the Broncos this season and their father, Kjell, who played 813 NHL games, played under Murray when he was an assistant with the Philadelphia Flyers and remains friends with him to this day.
"He's got great hockey sense, he plays the game smart," Murray said of Mattias. "His dad was a fierce competitor, and so is Mattias. … He's the son of Kjell Samuelsson. That kind of says it all."