When the 2026 World Junior Hockey Championship comes to the Twin Cities in December, not many will know that more than 50 years ago, a diminutive former Gophers hockey player was a catalyst in the establishment of the tournament that now garners worldwide media attention.

Murray Williamson died this week at age 92 after dealing with an illness for the past several weeks. Originally from Winnipeg, he first came to Minnesota to play for the Gophers in 1956, and he coached the 1972 U.S. Olympic team to a silver medal in Sapporo, Japan.

“Murray was truly a legend. As a player, I believe he was an All-American, but what he did after, he gave back so much to USA Hockey and the growth and development of our sport,” Gophers men’s hockey coach Bob Motzko said. “He was a true icon, and we lost one

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