Sylvain Turgeon

Sylvain Turgeon
Born	(1965-01-17) January 17, 1965 Canada
Occupation	Professional ice hockey player (retired)
Years active	1983–2002
Known for	NHL player for Hartford Whalers, New Jersey Devils, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators; 1984 NHL All-Rookie Team; 1986 NHL All-Star Game participant

Joseph Sylvain Dorilla Turgeon (born January 17, 1965) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey athlete who competed in the NHL for twelve seasons, representing the Hartford Whalers, New Jersey Devils, Montreal Canadiens, and Ottawa Senators from 1983 through 1995. As the elder sibling of Hockey Hall of Fame inductee Pierre Turgeon, he secured a bronze medal with Team Canada at the 1983 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, earned a place on the 1984 NHL All-Rookie Team, and participated in the 1986 NHL All-Star Game. Among his significant achievements, he netted the decisive goal in the Ottawa Senators' inaugural game in 1992. After 1995, injuries curtailed his NHL career, prompting him to continue playing in minor leagues and European circuits until 2002.

Junior career

Prior to the 1981 draft of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), the Laval Voisins faced a choice between selecting Turgeon or Mario Lemieux with the top pick, ultimately opting for Lemieux. Turgeon was subsequently chosen by the Hull Olympiques. In his debut QMJHL season (1981–82), he tallied 33 goals and accumulated 73 points across 57 games, securing the 1982 Michel Bergeron Trophy as the offensive rookie of the year despite Lemieux leading in points. This accolade spurred Lemieux to dedicate himself entirely to hockey. During his sophomore season (1982–83), Turgeon recorded an impressive 54 goals and 163 points over 67 games, earning him the 1983 Mike Bossy Trophy as the top prospect and placement on the QMJHL First All-Star Team.

Hartford Whalers

Selected second overall by the Hartford Whalers in the 1983 NHL Entry Draft, Turgeon arrived with limited English proficiency but rapidly adapted while residing with an English-speaking family. His exceptional speed and accurate shooting established him as a vital power play asset alongside Ron Francis. Making his NHL debut on October 5, 1983, he quickly notched his first point and scored his initial goal on October 15. In his rookie campaign (1983–84), he appeared in 76 games, amassing 40 goals and a total of 72 points, which led to his inclusion on the NHL All-Rookie Team.

During his sophomore NHL season (1984–85), Turgeon managed 31 goals and 62 points over 64 games despite missing time due to injury. He achieved his first NHL hat trick on March 3, 1985. The subsequent season (1985–86) marked personal bests with 45 goals and 79 points in 76 contests. He secured a second hat trick in December 1985 and took over from Francis as Hartford’s representative at the 1986 NHL All-Star Game, where he assisted on a goal.

In 1986, Hartford qualified for the playoffs for the first time during Turgeon's tenure, winning their sole playoff series against the Quebec Nordiques. He scored Hartford’s inaugural postseason goal but was unable to participate in a pivotal game seven against Montreal due to an abdominal injury that required surgery.

This injury caused him to miss much of the early portion of the 1986–87 season. Upon returning mid-season, he played an important role during "Whalermania," skating alongside Francis and Kevin Dineen, and contributed 23 goals and 36 points in just 41 games as Hartford captured their first Adams Division championship. The team advanced to the playoffs again but was eliminated in the opening round.

The challenging 1987–88 season featured a coaching change and saw Turgeon score 23 goals with a total of 49 points across 71 games. The Whalers reached the playoffs once more but were defeated in the first round. Trade speculation involving Turgeon emerged late that season.

In what would be his final year with Hartford (1988–89), injuries restricted him to only 42 games during which he recorded totals of 16 goals and 40 points. A separated shoulder kept him sidelined for three months; however, upon return he made an immediate impact by scoring twice in a March victory over the New York Islanders. The Whalers were swept by Montreal in that year’s postseason.

New Jersey Devils

On June 17, 1989, during the 1989 NHL entry draft, the Hartford Whalers' newly appointed general manager Eddie Johnston traded Turgeon to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for Pat Verbeek. The Devils acquired Turgeon to enhance their offensive output, valuing his ability to play effectively on both wings. He made his debut in the 1989–90 NHL season on October 5, impressively netting a hat trick in a 6–2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Despite suffering a groin injury and a significant muscle strain on March 20 against the Flyers, Turgeon managed to score 30 goals and accumulate 47 points over 72 games that season. He returned for the Devils' last playoff match, but the team was eliminated in the first round of the 1990 Stanley Cup playoffs by the Washington Capitals.

Montreal Canadiens

On September 4, 1990, Turgeon was traded from the Devils to the Montreal Canadiens in return for forward Claude Lemieux. This trade aimed to resolve internal team issues, as Lemieux had conflicts with coach Pat Burns. Canadiens general manager Serge Savard considered Turgeon the best option despite some fan opposition. Having undergone hernia surgery shortly before joining Montreal, Turgeon was sidelined for six to eight weeks. He made his Canadiens debut on December 15, 1990, and scored his first goal with the team three days later. Playing alongside Stéphan Lebeau and Stéphane Richer, he tallied two goals and four points during an 8–4 win against the Jets on January 31, 1991. A fractured kneecap sustained on February 6 ended his regular season early; he finished with five goals and 12 points in just 19 games. Returning for the playoffs, Turgeon appeared in five games but did not score as Montreal was eliminated by Boston in seven games.

In the following season (1991–92), Turgeon recorded nine goals and 20 points across 56 games but faced irregular playing time and personal dissatisfaction, prompting his agent Pierre Lacroix to explore trade options. After being scratched for fourteen games, he returned on March 21. In the playoffs against Hartford, he scored his first postseason goal for Montreal in game five of the opening round. He participated in one game during the second-round series versus Boston as Montreal sought additional offensive support; however, they were swept, concluding their season.

Ottawa Senators

The Canadiens left Turgeon unprotected in the 1992 NHL expansion draft, where he was selected by the Ottawa Senators. As one of Ottawa’s original roster members, he was appointed an alternate captain. Turgeon played in the Senators' first-ever game on October 8, 1992, facing off against his former team, the Montreal Canadiens, and scored the decisive game-winning goal. Leading Ottawa’s expansion squad in goals during the 1992–93 NHL season, he notched 25 goals and totaled 43 points over 72 games. Off-ice, Turgeon initially served as the Senators' representative to the National Hockey League Players' Association, though players later replaced him with teammate Brad Shaw due to dissatisfaction.

During the subsequent 1993–94 NHL season, Turgeon no longer held an alternate captaincy role. On October 23, 1993, he achieved his fifth career hat trick against goaltender Ron Hextall of the New York Islanders, marking his milestone 250th career goal. Two days later, he suffered a fractured left forearm following a collision with teammate Dennis Vial, which caused him to miss 37 games. Returning on January 10, 1994, Turgeon contributed two assists and was named first star in a 3–3 tie against the Islanders. He closed that season with totals of 11 goals and 26 points over 47 games.

Turgeon's final NHL campaign took place during the lockout-shortened 1994–95 NHL season with Ottawa, where he recorded 11 goals and amassed 19 points across 33 games.

Minor leagues and European career

Turgeon participated in the Senators' 1995 training camp but was released shortly before its conclusion in September. Subsequently, he signed with the Houston Aeros of the International Hockey League (IHL) for the 1995–96 campaign, where he tallied 28 goals and 31 assists, accumulating 59 points over 65 games. He earned a spot representing Houston in the 1996 IHL All-Star Game. After becoming an unrestricted free agent at season's end, Turgeon opted to extend his professional journey in Europe, competing for clubs across Germany, Italy, and Switzerland until 2002.

International competition

At the 1983 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships held in Leningrad, Turgeon represented Canada as one of three seventeen-year-olds on the roster, alongside Mario Lemieux and Steve Yzerman. Over seven contests, he recorded four goals and six points, contributing to Canada’s bronze medal finish. In August 1987, Turgeon attended Team Canada’s selection camp for the Canada Cup but was sidelined due to a broken arm sustained during practice, preventing his participation in the tournament. Years later, in 1996, he was selected for Canada’s Spengler Cup squad and notably scored a hat trick in the final game, leading Canada to a 6–2 triumph over HC Davos.

Personal details

Turgeon is the elder sibling of former NHL player Pierre Turgeon. His nephew, Dominic Turgeon, Pierre’s son, was chosen by the Detroit Red Wings during the 2014 NHL entry draft.

A notable moment for Turgeon's memorabilia occurred when his 1994–95 Pinnacle hockey card experienced a dramatic surge in worth in 2007, escalating from $0.10 to over $70 after it was discovered that Patrick Kane—the first overall pick in the 2007 draft and 2008 Rookie of the Year—appeared as a child sitting on his father’s lap in the background of the card.

Regular season and playoffs

  1991–92 NHL season    Montreal Canadiens   NHL   56   9   11   20   39   5   1   0   1   4 1992–93 NHL season   Ottawa Senators   NHL   72   25   18   43   104   —   —   —   —   —   |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" 1993–94 NHL season   Ottawa Senators   NHL   47   11   15   26   52   —   —   —   —   —   |- 1994–95 NHL season   Ottawa Senators   NHL  33  11  8  19  29   —   —   —   —   —   |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" 1995–96 IHL season   Houston Aeros (1994–2013)   IHL  65  28  31  59  66   —   —   —   —   —     |- 1996–97 Serie A (ice hockey) season   HC Bolzano   ITA  23  14  11  25  22  —  —  —  —  —   |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" 1996–97 DEL season   Wedemark Scorpions   DEL  12  5  8  13  12  8  5  2  7  41   |- 1996–97    EHC Olten    NLB  9  10  2  12  38  —  —  —  —  —    |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" 1997–98 DEL season   Revier Löwen Oberhausen   DEL  28  11  15  26  24  —  —  —  —  —     |- 1997–98 Nationalliga A season   SC Herisau   NLA  14  9  2  11  26  —  —  —  —  —     |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" 1998–99 Nationalliga A seasonSC Langnau NLA 5 1 1 2 4 — — — — — |- 1998–99 DEL seasonKassel Huskies DEL 34 20 8 28 32 — — — — — |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" 1999–2000 DEL season Kassel Huskies DEL 49 32 13 45 49 8 2 2 4 10 |- 2000–01 DEL season Kassel Huskies DEL 58  15  10  25  44  8  0  3  3  2 |- bgcolor="#f0f0f0" 2001–02 HC Thurgau NLB 19 8 7 15 53 — — — — — |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"

				Regular season						Playoffs
Season	Team	League		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM		GP	G	A	Pts	PIM
1980–81	Bourassa Angevins	QMAAA		43	34	44	78	87		11	13	9	22	30
1981–82	Hull Olympiques	QMJHL		57	33	40	73	72		14	11	11	22	16
1982–83	Hull Olympiques	QMJHL		67	54	109	163	105		7	8	7	15	10
1983–84	Hartford Whalers	NHL		76	40	32	72	55		—	—	—	—	—
1984–85	Hartford Whalers	NHL		64	31	31	62	67		—	—	—	—	—
1985–86	Hartford Whalers	NHL		76	45	34	79	88		9	2	3	5	4
1986–87	Hartford Whalers	NHL		41	23	13	36	45		6	1	2	3	4
1987–88	Hartford Whalers	NHL		71	23	26	49	71		6	0	0	0	4
1988–89	Hartford Whalers	NHL		42	16	14	30	40		4	0	2	2	4
1989–90	New Jersey Devils	NHL		72	30	17	47	81		1	0	0	0	0
1990–91	Montreal Canadiens	NHL		19	5	7	12	20		5	0	0	0	2
NHL totals !669 !269 !226 !495 !691 !36 !4 !7 !11 !22 |- bgcolor="#e0e0e0"				DEL totals !181 !83 !54 !137 !161 !24 !7 !7 !14 !53 | } International Year Team Tournament Outcome GP G A Pts PIM 1983 Canada WJC Template:Bronze3 7 4 2 6 8 1996 Canada SC Template:Gold1 4 2 2 4 0 Junior career totals 7 4 2 6 8 Senior career totals 4 2 2 4 0 Awards and honours Award Year QMJHL Michel Bergeron Trophy 1982 First All-Star Team selection 1983 Mike Bossy Trophy 1983 NHL All-Rookie Team 1984 DEL All-Star Team inclusion 2001 See also Notable families in the NHL References External links