Marty Turco
Canadian goaltender known for puck-handling and a record-setting 1.72 GAA season.
Marty Vincent Turco was born on August 13, 1975, in Canada. He played goalie in the NHL for 11 seasons, spending nine of those with the Dallas Stars and one each with the Chicago Blackhawks and Boston Bruins. Known for his skill with the puck, Don Cherry once called him the smartest goalie in the league. Today, Turco works as an in-studio analyst for the NHL Network.
Turco started in minor hockey with the S.S. Marie Legion program in his hometown. He wasn’t drafted by the OHL, so at 17 he signed with the Cambridge Winterhawks Jr. B. team in 1992. After two seasons in the OHA, he took an NCAA scholarship to play for the University of Michigan in the CCHA, where he won two national championships. The Dallas Stars picked him in the fifth round of the 1994 NHL draft, and he played for Michigan that fall. During his four years there, he earned Rookie of the Year in 1995, Tournament MVP in 1998, and spots on the first All-Star team in 1997, the second All-Star team in 1998, and the All-Tournament Team in 1996 and 1998. After graduating, he joined Dallas’s IHL affiliate, the Kalamazoo Wings, and was named IHL Rookie of the Year in 1999.
After two seasons with the K-Wings, Turco became the backup to Ed Belfour in Dallas. He spent two years learning behind Belfour. Following the 2001–02 season, the Stars made Turco their starter and let Belfour sign with Toronto. In his first starting season, 2002–03, Turco posted a 1.72 goals-against average, a modern NHL record at the time (later broken by Miikka Kiprusoff). He played in the All-Star Game that year, made the second All-Star team, and finished second in Vezina Trophy voting behind Martin Brodeur. His .932 save percentage led the league. But the Stars lost to the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the Western Conference Semifinals of the 2003 playoffs.
The next season, Turco again played and started in the All-Star Game, but Dallas fell to the Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the 2004 playoffs. In 2005–06, he won a career-high 41 games, including eight in shootouts, but the Stars again lost to the Avalanche in five games. On April 13, 2007, Turco recorded his first playoff shutout against the Vancouver Canucks, tying the series 1–1. After the game, he said, “We know we can beat these guys here [Vancouver], or at home, or anywhere.” The Stars lost Game 3 at home in overtime, 2–1, on a goal by Taylor Pyatt.
Quick Facts
- Played For
- Dallas Stars / Chicago Blackhawks / Boston Bruins
- Position
- Goaltender
- Catches
- Left
- Height Ft
- 5
- Height In
- 11
- Weight Lb
- 184
- Ntl Team
- CAN
- Birth Date
- 13 August 1975
- Birth Place
- Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada
- Draft
- 124th overall
- Draft Year
- 1994
- Draft Team
- Dallas Stars
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Turco played minor hockey for the S.S. Marie Legion program in his hometown and was undrafted by the Ontario Hockey League. He signed as a 17-year-old with the Cambridge Winterhawks Jr. B. team in 1992 and played two seasons with the Ontario Hockey Association team before accepting an NCAA scholarship to play college hockey for the University of Michigan. At Michigan, Turco won two NCAA championships and earned many awards, including Rookie of the Year in 1995 and Tournament MVP in 1998. He was drafted in the fifth round of the 1994 NHL entry draft by the Dallas Stars.
After graduating, Turco played for Dallas' International Hockey League affiliate, the Kalamazoo Wings, and was named IHL Rookie of the Year in 1999. He spent two years as a backup for Ed Belfour in Dallas before becoming the starting goaltender in 2002–03. In his first season as starter, Turco set a modern NHL record with a 1.72 goals against average. He played in the NHL All-Star Game that season and was named to the second All-Star team, finishing second in Vezina Trophy voting. Turco recorded a career-best 41 wins in the 2005–06 season.
In the 2007 playoffs, Turco recorded three shutouts in a seven-game series against the Vancouver Canucks, a record for most shutouts in a single playoff series. He helped the Stars reach the Western Conference Finals in 2008, where they lost to the Detroit Red Wings. On January 15, 2009, Turco recorded his 421st game for the Stars, becoming the franchise's all-time leader in games played by a goaltender. He was not re-signed by Dallas after the 2009–10 season.
Reader's Guide
Marty Turco's significance lies primarily in his nine seasons with the Dallas Stars, where he became the franchise's all-time leader in wins (262), shutouts (40), games played (509), minutes played (29,065), and assists by a goalie (22). His 1.72 goals against average in the 2002–03 season set a modern NHL record, though it was broken the following season by Miikka Kiprusoff. Turco's puck-handling ability earned him the label 'the smartest goalie in the NHL' from Don Cherry.
In the 2007 playoffs, Turco posted three shutouts in a single series against the Vancouver Canucks, a record tied by several other goaltenders. He helped the Stars defeat the defending Stanley Cup champions Anaheim and the San Jose Sharks in the 2008 playoffs before losing to the Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference Finals. After leaving Dallas, Turco played one season with the Chicago Blackhawks and later signed with EC Red Bull Salzburg of the Austrian Erste Bank Eishockey Liga before finishing his NHL career with the Boston Bruins in 2012. He represented Team Canada at the 2002 World Championship and the 2006 Winter Olympics as a third goalie. Turco transitioned to television, working as an in-studio analyst for NHL Network.
Did You Know?
- He recorded three shutouts in a single playoff series in 2007, a record tied by several other goaltenders.
- Turco is the Dallas Stars' all-time leader in wins (262), shutouts (40), and games played by a goaltender (509).
- Don Cherry called Turco 'the smartest goalie in the NHL' due to his puck-handling prowess.
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