NHL Star Reveals He Texted Grayson Murray Weeks Before His Tragic Death

PGA Tour star Grayson Murray passed away on Saturday, May 25, just one day after withdrawing from the Charles Schwab Challenge, citing an unspecified illness.

The late sports star had previously been open about his mental health struggles, including battling depression and anxiety. Following his death, many golfers and athletes have paid tribute to Murray.

NHL defenseman Jaccob Slavin has revealed that he was texting PGA star Grayson Murray weeks before he passed away.

On Friday, May 24, 2024, Grayson Murray announced he needed to withdraw from the Charles Schwab Challenge. The following day, it was reported that the PGA Tour golfer had died at the age of 30.

On Sunday, May 26, 2024, Murray's parents issued a statement confirming that the cause of death was suicide.

"We have spent the last 24 hours trying to come to terms with the fact that our son is gone," Murray's parents said. "It's surreal that we not only have to admit it to ourselves, but that we also have to acknowledge it to the world. It's a nightmare."

"We have so many questions that have no answers. But one, Was Grayson loved? Yes. By us, his brother Cameron, his sister Erica, all of his extended family, by his friends, by his fellow players and – it seems – by many of you who are reading this. He was loved and he will be missed."

The family concluded, "We would like to thank the PGA Tour and the entire world of golf for the outpouring of support. Life wasn't always easy for Grayson, and although he took his own life, we know he rests peacefully now."

Jaccob Slavin, a defenseman for the Carolina Hurricanes and who was close friends with Grayson Murray, says he was texting the late PGA star weeks before he died.

“I was texting with Grayson a couple of weeks ago,” Slavin said at Providence Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, per US Weekly. “We were still in the playoffs. He was fired up for us and had all the belief in us, even as we were down 3-0 in a series against the Rangers.”

“He had just had a top-10 finish in the tournament he was in,” the NHL player continued. “He was talking about how his focus for that week was just on humility. I had brought up to him how Jesus was all about humility. His response to me was, ‘Bro, Jesus is everything. He’s eternity.’”

“We had an exchange back and forth a little bit more. He then went on to say, ‘I say life on Earth is a pregame to the real party," he went on. "Let’s enjoy while Jesus put us here for this short time, but recognize he has a purpose for us while we’re here. To impact people.’"

Slavin concluded, "Grayson had eternity and Jesus on his mind, and now he’s up there worshiping God.”

Other athletes and stars released statements regarding Grayson Murray's sudden death, including his coach of more than two decades.

"It is with [a] heavy heart I share news about the passing of Grayson Murray," Ted Kiegiel wrote in a lengthy statement on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. "I'm absolutely numb and crushed for the loss of Grayson… He was family... He was more than family... We were kindred spirits - sharing so many victorious 'life' moments while suffering through downturns that challenged his very essence."

Additionally, Webb Simpson, who has known Murray since childhood, told CBS Sports that his death "was a huge shock."

"My heart sank. I've had a junior tournament for 14 years now -- the Webb Simpson Challenge -- he was the first ever winner," he added.

In 2023, Grayson Murray opened up about his mental health struggles, revealing he suffered from depression and anxiety.

“My parents have been through hell and back basically for the last six years with me fighting some mental stuff and it’s not easy on me and the people around me that love me," Murray said at the time. "They don’t like to see me down and they’ve been my No. 1 supporters."

He added, “Everyone has their battles and sometimes people are able to hide them and function, and sometimes you’re not. I think our society now is getting better about accepting that, you know, it’s OK to not be OK. I'm not ashamed that I go through depression and anxiety."

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