Ryan Murphy is heading back to the Ontario Hockey League.

The Carolina Hurricanes have opted to return Murphy, selected 12th overall in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, to the Kitchener Rangers of the OHL. Murphy took the demotion in stride.

“Had a great run, learned lots,” the five-foot-11, 176-pound defenseman tweeted. “Time to return to my one of my of my favorite cities.”

He was a healthy scratch in the first four games for the Hurricanes this season.

“We are very pleased with Ryan’s training camp,” Hurricanes general manager Jim Rutherford told the Raleigh News and Observer. “The fact he went beyond the start of the season with us as an 18-year-old defenseman is really exceptional and tells what we think of him. He has a great future with us.

Murphy was second in scoring on Kitchener last year, recording 26 goals and 79 points in 63 games. He is expected to be in the lineup when the Rangers take on the Owen Sound Attack Friday.