Pierre Turgeon ‘thankful’ for Hall of Fame career  

Story written by Evan Milner

MONTREAL – Pierre Turgeon waited 13 years for the call to the Hall and when, finally, it came through, he took nearly as long to pick up.

The former Hab was working out at his Vegas hotel in June when a phone call from a Toronto area code lit up his screen. Naturally, the 54-year-old thought little of it and continued his sweat.

“It could be media calling to say, ‘What about this year? Is it going to happen, you think, or not?’” he thought to himself.

To his credit, those were the calls Turgeon had received for 12 years since becoming eligible for hockey’s top honor in 2010 but this time it wasn’t the media calling, it was Lanny McDonald – the chairman of the Hockey Hall of Fame and the bearer of, in this case, good news.

Turgeon couldn’t be bothered in the moment, however. He continued his workout through McDonald’s second attempt at reaching him, then the third and fourth. Finally, on McDonald’s fifth bid, it clicked in Turgeon’s mind.

“’Okay, this is from 416, the same phone number,’ the Rouyn-Noranda, QC native told himself. I said, ‘Okay, I better answer this just in case.’”

Fortunately for him, he did, and the three words that followed told Turgeon everything he needed to know about the conversation that would soon unfold.

“‘It’s Lanny McDonald.’ That’s all I heard. That’s all I needed to hear,” joked the four-time NHL All-Star. McDonald, a Hall-of-Famer himself, was, of course, calling to tell Turgeon he had been elected to hockey royalty as part of the class of 2023.

In typical hockey fashion, Turgeon celebrated with a fist pump then called his wife to share the news.

“We were leaving [Vegas] that night. My wife goes, ‘Should we change the [flight]’ I said, ‘No, no. We had a couple of days of partying the last couple of days, I think that’s good enough right now,’” he laughed.

Rather, the couple flew back to Vail, CO, where they spent time with family and “went for dinner; nothing crazy,” explained the 1987 first-overall pick. The celebration was modest, but the nomination was everything more to Turgeon, symbolizing of lifetime of dedication and achievement in the game.

“You kind of go back and analyze your path, you know, as a kid. All of a sudden, it’s like a rewind of your journey of what you've done in your career,” he said, “You look back at your career when you were young and you’re just so thankful; just so thankful I was able to do something I love.”

Speak to Turgeon and quickly you realize, for him, that’s what it was all about: playing the game he loved and doing it for so long.

“I played hockey for a living, and I couldn’t ask for better,” Turgeon said. “I'm proud I was able to do it for 19 seasons, which is incredible – doing it and loving it. And I still love it. I still play. I love the game.”

What’s there not to love about 515 goals, 812 assists and 1,327 points in 1,294 career games?

One-hundred and four of those outings Turgeon played in a Montreal Canadiens uniform – the team he grew up idolizing, stargazed by the superstars of yesteryears who baptized hockey’s most storied sweater.

“The first day I put the jersey on, you’re looking a couple of times at the crest, you’re like, ‘Wow, it’s crazy that I have this on me right now,’ described the Quebecer. “I did embrace the moment I was there, for sure. You’re playing for the Montreal Canadiens. It’s just… it’s crazy. It’s incredible.”

Though his time in Montreal was brief, it was effective. Not only did Turgeon register a near 100-point campaign in his only full season with the team, but he was also named the 25th captain in franchise history. In turn, he was part of one of the most monumental moments in the organization’s rich history: the closing of the Forum and opening of the Molson Centre (now the Bell Centre) in 1996.

“It was the right place at the right time. Being a part of that celebration and seeing all the captains’ names on the ice during that ceremony was an incredible thing,” offered Turgeon. “It was obviously one of the biggest moments in my career, for sure. I’m going to embrace that for the rest of my life,” he added.

Turgeon’s offensive prowess, strategic brilliance and Hall of Fame-like numbers characterized his time in the League, but his legacy transcends the statistics. Behind the scenes, he was endeared by his teammates for his leadership qualities, like Vincent Damphousse, another one of the Habs’ offensive juggernauts in the 90’s.

“He’s a quiet leader. He wasn’t overwhelmingly vocal, but he led by example,” explained Damphousse, who recalls Turgeon as a natural leader. “He wasn’t a guy who gave a ton of speeches in the room, but he showed up every night ready to play and the others followed.”

Turgeon’s consummate professionalism and humble character, Damphousse says, is what stands out about the soon-to-be 60th member of the Canadiens’ organization to be enshrined in the team’s Ring of Honor at the Bell Centre.

“He never forgot where he came from, and he never changed either. He’s a very humble guy, who’s very close to his family,” shared Damphousse.

Though deep into retirement now, the 19-year veteran keeps the game close to his heart. As Damphousse alluded to, he never changed then, and his love for the game hasn’t faded since.

“I still go on the ice. I love putting my two feet on the ice. To me, it's just a nice place to be. There's nothing like playing the game. You can watch it; I like it. But there's nothing like playing it,” Turgeon noted.

The impact of the 60 Hall of Famers in the Canadiens’ organization continues to filter down to the generations that follow. For Turgeon, it was Guy Lafleur and Réjean Houle, and as he steps into the hallowed halls of the pantheon on November 13, it will be a crowning moment of recognition for a player whose impact on the sport will resonate for years to come.

Turgeon will be honored at the Bell Centre on Nov. 14 before the Canadiens take on the Flames. For tickets, click here.