Oct. 22, 2010

Former hockey standouts Craig Charron ('90), Bob Kearin ('73) and Michael Murray ('94) were inducted into the Legends of Lowell on Friday night prior to the River Hawks' home opener against Providence College.

The pre-game ceremony coincided with the Third Annual Riley Reunion Night and was held in the newly built Pavilion Club. A reception with family, friends and fans recognized the players' contributions to the UMass Lowell hockey program and featured video tributes produced by Bob Ellis.

Legends of Lowell: The Long Red Line ties the grand history of Lowell hockey together in a magnificent new display located at the Tsongas Center. Last year witnessed greats Paul Ames, Gary Bishop, Mike Carr, Jeff Daw, Tom Jacobs, Dean Jenkins, Paul Lohnes, Craig MacTavish, Jon Morris, and Dwayne Roloson join renowned UMass Lowell hockey coach Bill Riley in the Legends of Lowell.

Charron skated for four seasons and served as captain of the 1989-90 squad. Drafted by the Montreal Canadiens, Charron finished his career as the second leading scorer in the program's Division I history. Ranked 13th among all scorers, he tallied 148 points on 64 goals and 84 assists in 142 career games. During his tenure, ULowell appeared in its first ever Division I NCAA Tournament in 1988.

Charron passed on October 18, 2010 from his longstanding battle with stomach cancer at the age of 42. He is survived by his wife, Wendy, and their four children. Those wishing to make a donation to help support his family please visit www.CraigCharron.com.

Kearin wore the Chiefs sweater as a defenseman in the early `70's, guiding the program during its infancy. A prolific scorer, Kearin potted 62 goals and 58 assists in only 62 career games. Still the 26th highest scorer in program history, only three players attained more points in as many or fewer games. Kearin was previously inducted into the UMass Lowell Hall of Fame in 1992.

Murray captained the 1993-94 team that went 25-10-5 and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament under head coach Bruce Crowder. Tied for 17th on the all-time scoring list, Murray had 134 points on 67 goals and 67 assists. A ninth-round selection of the Calgary Flames, Murray was named to the All-Hockey East Second-Team as a junior.

The inductees were voted on by a selection committee comprised of former UMass Lowell hockey players, coaches and administrators.