Curtis Murphy was born December 3, 1975 in Kerrobert, Saskatchewan. A graduate of the University of North Dakota, Murphy signed as a free agent with the Minnesota Wild in the summer of 2001 following a four year career at UND.
In his four years at UND, Murphy registered 118 points (32-86-118) and was a member of its NCAA Championship team in 1996-97 before making his professional debut with the IHLs Orlando Solar Bears in 1998-99. An offensive defenseman, Murphy went on to play three seasons in Orlando, helping the team capture the 2001 Turner Cup title before joining the AHLs Houston Aeros in 2002-03. In his first season with the Aeros, Murphy was instrumental in helping the team capture its first Calder Cup title while making his NHL debut with Minnesota that same year.
In 2003-04, Murphy joined the AHLs Milwaukee Admirals.