From the second his name was called, an instant comparison that many have made both inside and outside the Detroit Falcons locker room is that of recent draft pick Tig Murphy to recent alumnus and emerging SHL powerhouse Bob Bergen. 

In many ways, Murphy mirrors the path taken by Bergen to arrive in Detroit: Bergen, like Murphy, began as something of a Nobody in the British Isles before bursting onto the scene in his SMJHL draft year.

Both measure in at 6'2" and over 210 pounds, but display their strengths far away from the physical side of the game. The two are high-octane on the offensive side of the puck who excel in both passing and carrying the puck - making them a dual threat to forecheckers. Although the "offensive defenseman" label is typically the other side of a coin that reads "poor defensively," both Bergen and Murphy utilize excellent positioning and gap control to exert their control over the defensive side of the game.

Murphy was flattered by the comparison, noting that "it's an honour to be compared to a Falcons legend like Bergen and if I have a career half as successful as his has been so far I'll be pretty fortunate." 

While the similarities between the two defensemen representing the past and future of the Falcons are quite well-known, Murphy was quick to point out some differences in their style of play. 

"Obviously our puck movement is quite similar but I think I tend to rely on my skating a lot more in the defensive and neutral zones," he explained, "whereas Bergen is usually more content to move the puck up the ice to a teammate as quickly as possible. This leads to me playing a little more of a high-risk game than he does which of course has its drawbacks."

Aside from the skill aspect of the game, there is another part of Bergen's success that Murphy wishes to emulate.

"Even for a young guy in the SHL, he's shown that he's in incredible shape and that he can eat a ton of minutes," Murphy noted. "I'm not even close to that point yet, and it's going to be a huge focus of mine going forward with the trainers and during my next few offseasons. Being able to handle the game at the highest pace and most physical level requires a high level of fitness and that's something I definitely need to achieve to make that next step."

For Detroit fans, the wait to see Murphy and the rest of the exciting Falcons talent ends on Monday. They'll be anxiously awaiting Murphy's progression as they hope that, just maybe, lightning will strike twice.