Pierre Turgeon
Productive scorer with over 500 goals and 800 assists.
Pierre Turgeon is a Canadian ice hockey coach and former player. Born in Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, on August 28, 1969, he was the first overall pick by the Buffalo Sabres in the 1987 NHL entry draft. Over nineteen seasons, he played for the Sabres, New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens, St. Louis Blues, Dallas Stars, and Colorado Avalanche. His older brother, Sylvain Turgeon, also played in the NHL.
A consistent scorer, Turgeon posted thirteen straight 20-goal seasons from 1988 to 2001, finishing his career with more than 500 goals and 800 assists in over 1,200 games. He won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy in 1993 for sportsmanship and appeared in five NHL All-Star Games. In 2005, he became the 34th player to reach 500 goals. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame on November 13, 2023.
As a child, Turgeon played in the 1982 Little League World Series, representing Canada as a pitcher alongside future NHLer Stéphane Matteau. At 11, he stood 5'11" and weighed 185 pounds. His team reached the semifinals against Taiwan, which had won 30 straight games. Canada was five outs from the championship game before Taiwan rallied to win 10–7. In 2007, Turgeon became the first Canadian and first NHL player inducted into the Peter J. McGovern Little League Museum's Hall of Excellence; with his later Hockey Hall of Fame induction, he remains the only person in both halls. He quit baseball at 14 but took pride in the experience, noting that thousands greeted the team upon their return to Canada.
Following his brother Sylvain, Turgeon played for the Bourassa Angevins midget team in 1984–85, leading the league among 15-year-olds with 49 goals and 52 assists. The Granby Bisons selected him first overall in the 1985 QMJHL draft. In his rookie season, he won the Michel Bergeron Trophy for best offensive play by a rookie. The next year, he earned the Michael Bossy Trophy as the best professional prospect, tallying 69 goals and 85 assists in 58 games and helping the Bisons win the Jean Rougeau Trophy for the league’s best regular-season record. Over 127 QMJHL games, he recorded 116 goals and 152 assists for 268 points. He entered the QMJHL Hall of Fame in 2008.
Turgeon was part of Canada’s team at the 1987 World Junior Championships, which ended in the “Punch-up in Piestany,” a bench-clearing brawl with the Soviet Union.
Quick Facts
- Birth Date
- 1969-08-28
- Birth Place
- Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, Canada
- Height Ft
- 6
- Height In
- 1
- Weight Lb
- 199
- Position
- Centre
- Shoots
- Left
- Played For
- Buffalo Sabres / New York Islanders / Montreal Canadiens / St. Louis Blues / Dallas Stars / Colorado Avalanche
- Draft
- 1st overall
- Draft Year
- 1987
- Draft Team
- Buffalo Sabres
- Career End
- 2007
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Turgeon played for the midget hockey team Bourassa Angevins in 1984–85, leading the league among 15-year-olds with 49 goals and 52 assists. He was selected first overall by the Granby Bisons in the 1985 QMJHL Entry Draft, winning the Michel Bergeron Trophy as a rookie and the Michael Bossy Trophy as best professional prospect. In 127 career QMJHL games he scored 116 goals and 152 assists. He was inducted into the QMJHL Hall of Fame in 2008.
Turgeon was a member of Canada's team at the 1987 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, which was involved in the 'Punch-up in Piestany' bench-clearing brawl against the Soviet Union. He was the only Canadian who did not initially leave the bench until head coach Bert Templeton convinced him to go on the ice. Some teammates never forgave him; Turgeon later stated 'that wasn't my job. I didn't have to fight.'
As a child, Turgeon represented Canada in the 1982 Little League World Series, playing pitcher as his team advanced to the semifinals. In 2007 he was inducted into the Peter J. McGovern Little League Museum's Hall of Excellence, becoming the first Canadian and first NHLer inducted. He is the younger brother of former NHL player Sylvain Turgeon.
Reader's Guide
Turgeon recorded thirteen consecutive 20-goal seasons from 1988 to 2001 and became the 34th player to score 500 goals, doing so in 2005. His best NHL season came with the New York Islanders in 1992–93, when he scored 58 goals and 132 points—both career highs—and helped lead the team to a playoff run that included an upset of the two-time defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins. In that postseason, he suffered a separated shoulder after being checked from behind by Dale Hunter; Hunter received a then-record 21-game suspension. Turgeon ranks as the last Islander to record 100 points in a season and the last to score 50 goals in a season. He was named to the NHL All-Star Game five times and won the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy in 1993. His induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2023 made him the first and so far only member of both the Little League Hall of Excellence and the Hockey Hall of Fame.
Did You Know?
- Turgeon was the first overall pick in the 1987 NHL entry draft, selected by the Buffalo Sabres.
- He played in the 1982 Little League World Series as a pitcher for his hometown team.
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