Stephen James Murphy (born 11 December 1981) is a former professional ice hockey goaltender born in Dundee, Scotland, United Kingdom. Murphy began playing ice hockey at the very young age of 5. He made his first professional appearances at the age of 16 with the Paisley Pirates, a team then icing in the BNL. Murphy made two appearances for the Pirates during the 1997/98 season before moving on to the Fife Flyers. Whilst in Fife, Murphy helped the Flyers win the Scottish Cup. He established himself as the Flyers' first choice goaltender despite his young age and in the 1998/99 season recorded a respectable GAA of 3.61 and a save percentage of .918. In 1999, at the age of 17, Murphy became the goaltender for the Great Britain National Team and played on five occasions for them in the World Junior Championships, proving himself to be a reliable last line of defence. This solidified his position as the Flyers' first choice goaltender and he continued to play for them during the 1999/00 season, featuring in the BNL as well as the B&H Cup and the Christmas Cup. Once again the Flyers made the post-season, with Murphy playing every game in the playoffs. In 2000, Murphy moved to the United States to sign for the Omaha Lancers, of the USHL. He failed to make an appearance and moved mid-season to the Cleveland Barons. Again Murphy failed to make a start but learned considerably from his time in the USA. He finished the 2000/01 season back in Scotland, once again playing for the Flyers. In the summer of 2001, Murphy played again for the Team GB junior squad but also featured for the senior team where he recorded an excellent 1.97 goals against average and a .917 save percentage. Murphy remained in Scotland for the 2001/02 term, although he signed for the Dundee Stars and played alongside British hockey great Tony Hand for the first time at club level. Murphy played 43 games for the Stars in the regular season and made 10 post season appearances, again proving his worth despite his young age. He again appeared for Team GB in 2002, in the World Cup. Murphy remained in his hometown of Dundee for the 2002/03 season, whilst the British ice hockey organisation was undergoing considerable restructuring. Here he played with Hand for a second spell. A move followed for the 2003/04