(born August 13, 1975 in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario) is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently with the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League. Because of his puckhandling prowess, Canadian hockey personality Don Cherry named Turco as "the smartest goalie in the NHL."
Playing career
Early career
Unlike most Canadians in the NHL, Turco did not play major junior hockey, instead playing for the University of Michigan, with whom he won two NCAA championships.
After playing minor hockey for the S.S. Marie Legion program in his hometown, Turco 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 OHA team before accepting an NCAA scholarship at U. Michigan (CCHA).
He was drafted in the fifth round of the 1994 NHL Entry Draft by the Dallas Stars, and went on to play for Michigan that fall. Turco earned many awards in his four years at Michigan, including Rookie of the Year in 1995, Tournament MVP in 1998, and nominations to 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, Turco went to play for Dallas's IHL affiliate, the Michigan K-Wings. In 1999, he was named IHL Rookie of the Year.
After two years playing for the K-Wings, Turco was given the opportunity to be a backup for Ed Belfour in Dallas. He spent the next two years in Dallas gaining experience as the backup. After the 2001-2002 season, Dallas decided to make Turco the starting goaltender, allowing Belfour to sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Dallas Stars
In his first year as the starting goaltender, 2002–03, Turco's goals-against average of 1.72 set a modern NHL record. (Miikka Kiprusoff broke Turco's record the next season with a 1.69 goals against average.) Turco played in the NHL All-Star Game during the season and was named to the Second All-Star Team following the season, finishing second in Vezina Trophy voting as well (behind Martin Brodeur). His .932 save percentage was also best in the NHL that year. However, he was unable to lead the Stars past the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the Western Conference semi-finals.
During the 2003–04 season, Turco continued to give the Stars quality goaltending, again playing (and starting) in the All-Star Game. However, when the Stars played the Colorado Avalanche in the first round of the playoffs, Turco struggled, receiving blame from some for the Stars' losing the series in five games.
In the 2005–06 season, Turco won a career-best 41 games, 8 of them in shootouts. Turco's experience in the 2006 playoffs was similar to the prior season, again losing in five games to the Avalanche.
On April 13, 2007, in the Stars first and only playoff series of the 2006-07 season, Turco recorded his first ever playoff shutout against the Vancouver Canucks to tie the series 1–1. After the game, he stated, "We know we can beat these guys here [Vancouver], or at home, or anywhere."
Turco went on to lose against the Canucks at home in game three, dropping a 2–1 overtime victory, when Taylor Pyatt got a quick one-time shot off a feed from Bryan Smolinski. In game 4, once again the Stars could not put up a win, losing to the Canucks 2–1 off of goals from Mattias Ohlund, then the game winner from Linden. The Stars then went on to win game 5 in the series with 1–0 OT win. Brenden Morrow scored the game's only goal 6:22 into the first OT period, allowing Turco to get his second career playoff shutout. Turco followed this up with his third shutout of the series in a 2–0 win. The series ended on Monday, April 23, 2007 with a score of 4–1 in favor of Vancouver, after Turco allowed Trevor Linden to score the eventual game-winning goal in the 2nd period.
The three shutouts posted by Turco in that series represent a record amount of shutouts in a single playoff series, a mark that has been tied by the New Jersey Devils' goalie Martin Brodeur, the Toronto Maple Leafs' goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere, and Philadelphia Flyers' goalie Michael Leighton.
Turco recorded 32 wins in the 2007–08 season, and helped the Stars to playoff wins over the defending Stanley Cup champions Anaheim Ducks and the San Jose Sharks, before losing in six games to the Detroit Red Wings in the Western Conference Finals.
On January 15, 2009, Turco recorded his 421st game for the Dallas Stars becoming the franchise's all-time leader in games played by a netminder, surpassing Cesare Maniago's near 33-year old record of 420. He would also pass Maniago later that month in total minutes played, on January 29 while also winning his first regular-season game at Joe Louis Arena in 11 tries against the Detroit Red Wings. Again on February 9 he broke yet another of Maniago's records by starting in his 24th consecutive game in goal. Ultimately, the Stars failed to qualify for the postseason. On April 13, 2010, it was reported that Turco would not be resigned by Dallas, ending his nine years with the Stars.
Chicago Blackhawks
On August 2, 2010, Turco signed a one-year contract as a free agent with the reigning Stanley Cup champions, the Chicago Blackhawks.
Awards
Named NHL "First Star of the Week" for October 4 to October 15, 2006.
Roger Crozier Saving Grace Award - 2001, 2003
Records
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League records
Most shutouts in a playoff series (3, 2007; tied with Martin Brodeur, J.S. Giguere, and Michael Leighton)
Franchise records
Dallas Stars
most wins
most shutouts
most games played
most minutes played by a goaltender
most consecutive games played
most assists by a goalie
Personal life
Turco and his wife Kelly have two daughters, Hailey and Katelyn, and one son, Finley, with the family residing in Highland Park, Texas. He also owns a home in his home town of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, where he spends much of his summer.
Career statistics
Regular season
Season Team League GP W L T OTL MIN GA SO GAA SV%
1994–95 Michigan CCHA 37 27 7 1 — 2063 95 1 2.76 —
1995–96 Michigan CCHA 42 34 7 1 — 2335 84 5 2.16 —
1996–97 Michigan CCHA 41 33 4 4 — 2296 87 4 2.27 .893
1997–98 Michigan CCHA 45 33 10 1 — 2639 95 4 2.16 .887
1998–99 Michigan K-Wings IHL 54 24 17 10 — 3127 136 1 2.61 .899
1999–00 Michigan K-Wings IHL 60 23 27 7 — 3399 139 7 2.45 .901
2000–01 Dallas Stars NHL 26 13 6 1 — 1266 40 3 1.90 .925
2001–02 Dallas Stars NHL 31 15 6 2 — 1519 53 2 2.09 .921
2002–03 Dallas Stars NHL 55 31 10 10 — 3203 92 7 1.72 .932
2003–04 Dallas Stars NHL 73 37 21 13 — 4359 144 9 1.98 .913
2004–05 Djurgården SEL 6 — — — — 356 12 1 2.02 .932
2005–06 Dallas Stars NHL 68 41 19 — 5 3910 166 3 2.55 .898
2006–07 Dallas Stars NHL 67 38 20 — 5 3763 140 6 2.23 .910
2007–08 Dallas Stars NHL 62 32 21 — 6 3628 140 3 2.31 .909
2008–09 Dallas Stars NHL 74 33 31 — 10 4327 203 3 2.81 .898
2009–10 Dallas Stars NHL 53 22 20 — 11 3088 140 4 2.72 .913
NHL totals 509 262 154 26 37 29,064 1118 40 2.31 .911
CCHA totals 165 127 28 17 — 9333 361 14 2.18 —
IHL totals 114 47 44 17 — 6526 275 8 2.53 .918
Playoffs
Season Team League GP W L MIN GA SO GAA SV%
1998–99 Michigan K-Wings IHL 5 2 3 300 14 0 2.80 —
2002–03 Dallas Stars NHL 12 6 6 798 25 0 1.87 .919
2003–04 Dallas Stars NHL 5 1 4 325 18 0 3.32 .849
2005–06 Dallas Stars NHL 5 1 4 319 18 0 3.38 .868
2006–07 Dallas Stars NHL 7 3 4 509 11 3 1.30 .952
2007–08 Dallas Stars NHL 18 10 8 1152 40 1 2.08 .922
NHL totals 47 21 26 3103 112 4 2.17 .914
IHL totals 5 2 3 300 14 0 2.80 —
International play
Played for Team Canada at the 2006 Winter Olympics.
Source:Marty Turco
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