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Pierre Turgeon with the Buffalo Sabres. Source: https://www.hhof.com/induction/induction2023/pierreturgeon.html (May be subject to copyright) |
But for me, Pierre Turgeon will be the first draft pick who was my age – sort of.
He was inducted into the Hockey Hall Of Fame yesterday, and it reminded me of the time he entered the league, and what he would become.
High school confidential
Growing up, I operated with two birthdays. Because I was a year ahead in school, my high school graduation year did not match my birth year. I was born in 1970 and should have graduated high school in 1988, but I graduated in 1987.
Growing up, I operated with two birthdays. Because I was a year ahead in school, my high school graduation year did not match my birth year. I was born in 1970 and should have graduated high school in 1988, but I graduated in 1987.
All my friends and classmates were born in 1969. Because every activity outside the school was based on age not grade, I would be put in with the kids born in 1970, who were a grade behind me and I really didn’t know that well. My friend and neighbour Mike was in the same boat, so we started to lie about our birthday, putting 1969 as our birth year.
Even to this day, when people want to know my age they will ask what year I graduated. I have to tell them the days don’t match.
I bring up all of this because when I was growing up, professional hockey players were always so much older than me. Finally, in 1987, I was kind of excited because the players who were draft eligible were my age.
Well, my grade anyway.
Draft day
The Buffalo Sabres held the first overall pick for the 1987 draft, and the top prospect was Pierre Turgeon. I had not really heard of him, because he played in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, and back then we didn’t see them play. I also had no access to TSN, to watch the news from the junior leagues. We got news from the Western Hockey League because we had the Lethbridge Hurricanes, a local team playing in the WHL.
The Buffalo Sabres held the first overall pick for the 1987 draft, and the top prospect was Pierre Turgeon. I had not really heard of him, because he played in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, and back then we didn’t see them play. I also had no access to TSN, to watch the news from the junior leagues. We got news from the Western Hockey League because we had the Lethbridge Hurricanes, a local team playing in the WHL.
That Christmas, 1986, I also didn’t pay attention to the World Junior Hockey Championship as I usually do, for some reason. That was the year Canada and the Soviet Union got into a bench-clearing brawl with the Soviets. Turgeon was on that team.
All I really knew was he was the younger brother of Sylvain Turgeon, who had been drafted second overall in the 1983 NHL Draft, and was carving out a nice career with the Hartford Whalers.
Come draft day, the Buffalo Sabres were true to form and took Pierre Turgeon first overall.
Turning pro
Turgeon would make an immediate impact. He scored 14 goals and added 28 assists for 42 points in the 1987-1988 season, his rookie year, and helped the Sabres make the playoffs for the first time in three years.
Turgeon would make an immediate impact. He scored 14 goals and added 28 assists for 42 points in the 1987-1988 season, his rookie year, and helped the Sabres make the playoffs for the first time in three years.
The following season, 1988-1989, he scored 34 goals and assisted on 54 others for 88 points. His production increased again in his third season. During that 1989-1990 campaign, he notched 40 goals and added 66 assists for 106 points. His efforts earned him a spot in the 1990 All-Star Game too.
Along the way he acquired the nickname “Sneaky Pete” as well.
As the 1980s receded into the distance, the future looked very bright for Pierre Turgeon.
The years after
Turgeon would keep on playing until 2007, a total of 20 seasons in the NHL with Buffalo, the New York Islanders, Montreal, St. Louis, Dallas, and Colorado.
Turgeon would keep on playing until 2007, a total of 20 seasons in the NHL with Buffalo, the New York Islanders, Montreal, St. Louis, Dallas, and Colorado.
In October of 1991, the Sabres engineered a blockbuster trade with the New York Islanders. The Sabres sent Turgeon, Benoit Hogue, Uwe Krupp and Dave McLIwain to the Islanders in exchange for Pat LaFontaine, Randy Wood and Randy Hiller.
During the 1992-1993 Stanley Cup playoffs, he led the Islanders past the Washington Capitals. They eliminated the Capitals in six games. At the end of Game 6, Turgeon was celebrating a goal when Dale Hunter hit him hard into the boards from behind, separating Turgeon’s shoulder and forcing him to miss much of their second round series with the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins. Hunter received a 21-game suspension for the cheap shot. The Islanders beat the Penguins but lost to the Montreal Canadiens in five games in the conference final. That was due mostly to the fact Turgeon was nowhere near 100 per cent. The Canadiens would go on to win the Stanley Cup, the last time to date they have won the championship.
Coincidentally, Turgeon would be traded to the Canadiens two years later along with Vladimir Malakhov in exchange for Kirk Muller, Mathieu Schneider and Craig Darby. The following season, the 1995-1996 year, Turgeon was named captain of the Canadiens after existing captain Mike Keane went to the Colorado Avalanche.
In October of 1996, Turgeon was on the move again this time going to St. Louis with Rory Fitzpatrick and Craig Conroy in exchange for Murray Baron, Shayne Corson, and a draft pick.
On July 1, 2001 Turgeon signed as a free agent with the Dallas Stars, staying there until August 3, 2005 when he signed as a free agent with the Colorado Avalanche.
On November 8, 2005, Turgeon scored his 500th career goal.
He retired from the NHL in September of 2007, after playing a total of 1,294 games, recording 515 goals and 812 assists for 1,327 points. He also appeared in 109 playoff games, notching 35 goals and 62 assists for 97 points.
Parting thoughts
I always had a soft spot for Pierre Turgeon because my good friend Mark A. Saxton was a big Buffalo Sabres fan. He wore a Turgeon Number 77 jersey and was loyal to that team throughout the early 1990s when we watched hockey together.
I always had a soft spot for Pierre Turgeon because my good friend Mark A. Saxton was a big Buffalo Sabres fan. He wore a Turgeon Number 77 jersey and was loyal to that team throughout the early 1990s when we watched hockey together.
Interestingly Mark, like myself, was born in 1970 but graduated high school in 1987, so Turgeon was the first draft pick that was his age as well – sort of.
That like of Turgeon intensified after that cheap shot from Hunter hobbled him for the remainder of the playoffs.
There were those who said Turgeon wasn’t that tough, but I will tell you, he proved them wrong in 1993. He sat out six games with that separated shoulder but returned to the line up, through sheer guts and gall.
So Sneaky Pete, congratulations on your selection to the Hockey Hall Of Fame – from the class of 1987.
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