The NHL's float that Larry Murphy will ride on during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade next Thursday in New York City.

LOS ANGELES – Red Wings broadcaster Larry Murphy has been in some pretty big parades during his hockey career. But none that’s widely celebrated at the next one he’ll participate in – The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade next Thursday in New York City.

“I’ve been in a couple of parades, a couple of good ones down Woodward Avenue that I enjoyed,” said Murphy who won four Stanley Cup rings, including a pair with the Wings in 1997 and ’98. “But besides that I’ve never done a parade. I’m looking forward to it, there’s no bigger parade, and I’m flattered that the league asked me to do it.”

The NHL asked Murphy and former Boston forward Cam Neely if they would ride along on the league’s new float that will help promote the Thanksgiving Showdown game the following afternoon between the Wings and Bruins at 1 p.m. EST on NBC and TSN.
 
It was a no-brainer for Murphy, who’s a big kid at heart anyway.

“I’m just worried about making sure that I don’t fall off the float, I mean that’s goal No. 1,” he said. “I want to stay on it for the whole ride.”

The float depicts an autumn scene near a frozen pond turned into a makeshift hockey rink that features a scoreboard, a 25-foot tall turkey as a goalie, and a perch for watching the 8-10 youth skaters doing their thing on the synthetic ice.

“Being there for that part of the year, just being part of that huge event, it’s going to be spectacular,” Murphy said. “You look at big events throughout the year, and that’s one of them.”

Besides the thrill of the parade, Murphy, who claims to have been a very good boy this year, a chance to meet Jolly Old St. Nick is a bonus.

“I’m hoping to meet him,” Murphy said. “I mean it’s an opportunity, and there are a couple of things that I want for Christmas, so hopefully I’ll be able to corner him at some point.”