Editing Pierre Turgeon (section)

==Playing career==

===Early years===
Turgeon was a member of Canada's team that was involved in the "[[Punch-up in Piestany]]", a [[bench-clearing brawl]] between [[Canada men's national junior ice hockey team|Canada]] and the [[Soviet Union national junior ice hockey team|Soviet Union]] during the final game of the [[1987 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships]] in [[Piešťany]], [[Czechoslovakia]] (now [[Slovakia]]) on January 4, 1987. He was the only Canadian who did not initially leave the bench until Canadian head coach [[Bert Templeton]] convinced him to go on the ice.<ref name="Maki">{{cite news |last1=Maki |first1=Alan |title=The brawl that started it all |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/hockey/the-1987-brawl-that-made-the-world-junior-hockey-championships-what-they-aretoday/article37423757/ |access-date=January 4, 2020 |work=The Globe and Mail |date=December 22, 2017}}</ref> Many of his teammates never forgave Turgeon for failing to defend his teammates. In the words of [[Everett Sanipass]]: "I'm looking for someone to help (Stéphane) Roy out and I look over at the bench.  There's this dog Turgeon, just sitting there, with his head down. He wouldn't get his ass off the bench ... just sitting there when everyone's off the Soviet bench and at least one of our guys is in real trouble getting double-teamed."<ref>{{Cite book|surname=Joyce|given=Gare|year=2006|title=When the Lights Went Out|publisher=Random House|isbn=978-0-385-66275-8}}</ref> Regarding not leaving the bench, Turgeon stated in 2017: "that wasn't my job. I didn't have to fight." Two other players for Canada in forward Steve Nemeth and goalie Jimmy Waite also did not throw a punch.<ref name="Maki"/>

===Buffalo Sabres===
Turgeon was drafted by the [[Buffalo Sabres]] as the first overall pick in the [[1987 NHL Entry Draft]]. [[Rick Jeanneret]], play-by-play announcer for the Sabres, coined the phrase ''"Ooh-la-la Pierre"'' for Turgeon.

Turgeon would quickly make an impact with the Sabres once he arrived. In his rookie season, he contributed a respectable 42 points (14 goals, 28 assists) during the [[1987–88 NHL season|1987–88 season]], helping the Sabres reach the [[Stanley Cup playoffs]] for the first time in three years. His production increased to 88 points (34 goals and 54 assists) for the [[1988–89 NHL season|1988–89 season]] as he quickly became a fan favourite. In the [[1989–90 NHL season|1989–90 season]], he became a star by scoring 106 points (40 goals and 66 assists) and playing in the [[1990 National Hockey League All-Star Game|1990 NHL All-Star Game]]. Turgeon's production dipped a little bit in the [[1990–91 NHL season|1990–91 season]] to 79 points (32 goals and 47 assists), but he was still a solid performer.

===New York Islanders===
On October 25, 1991, after over four years with the Sabres, Turgeon was traded (along with [[Benoît Hogue]], [[Uwe Krupp]] and [[Dave McLlwain]]) to the [[New York Islanders]] in exchange for [[Pat LaFontaine]], [[Randy Wood (ice hockey)|Randy Wood]], [[Randy Hillier (ice hockey)|Randy Hillier]] and future considerations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://buffalonews.com/1991/10/25/sabres-deal-turgeon-get-lafontaine/|title=Sabres deal Turgeon, get LaFontaine|work=The Buffalo News|date=October 25, 1991|access-date=April 23, 2018}}</ref> Turgeon's best season as an Islander was in [[1992–93 NHL season|1992–93]], where he scored 58 goals and 132 points and helped lead the Islanders to the [[Wales Conference]] Finals, where they would lose to eventual [[Stanley Cup]] champion [[Montreal Canadiens]] in five games. En route, the Islanders defeated the [[Washington Capitals]] and upset the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions [[Pittsburgh Penguins]].

The first round series, which the Islanders won in six games, is infamous for an on-ice incident. After scoring a goal to put the Islanders up 5-1 during game six at [[Nassau Coliseum]], Turgeon was checked from behind by [[Dale Hunter]] of the Capitals as he celebrated his goal. Turgeon suffered a separated shoulder and missed the first six games of the ensuing series against the Penguins. Hunter received a then-record 21-game suspension for the hit.<ref>{{cite news|last1=LaPointe|first1=Joe|title=HOCKEY; Hunter's Attack Costs Him the First 21 Games|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/05/05/sports/hockey-hunter-s-attack-costs-him-the-first-21-games.html|access-date=January 1, 2018|work=The New York Times|date=May 5, 1993|location=Pittsburgh}}</ref> In the semifinals against the Montreal Canadiens, Turgeon tallied five points in four games.<ref>{{cite web|title=Hockey-Reference.com|url=https://www.hockey-reference.com/playoffs/1993-montreal-canadiens-vs-new-york-islanders-prince-of-wales-conference-finals.html|access-date=November 13, 2013}}</ref>
<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1138705/index.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100702024225/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1138705/index.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2010-07-02|title=Dale Hunter|publisher=Sports Illustrated|date=1993-12-06|last=Crothers|first=Time|access-date=2011-01-11}}</ref> The Islanders bowed out of the playoffs after a hard-fought five-game series, two of which went to overtime. After defeating the Islanders, the Canadiens went on to win the Stanley Cup.

As an Islander, Turgeon was awarded the [[Lady Byng Memorial Trophy]] in the 1992–93 season.

===Montreal Canadiens===
Following the [[1994–95 NHL lockout]] in which the [[1994–95 NHL season|1994–95 season]] was limited to 48 games, Islanders general manager [[Don Maloney]] decided to rebuild the team, which included trading Turgeon and [[Vladimir Malakhov (ice hockey)|Vladimir Malakhov]] to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for [[Kirk Muller]], [[Mathieu Schneider]] and [[Craig Darby]] at the trading deadline. Turgeon would be named [[captain (ice hockey)|captain]] of the Canadiens for the [[1995–96 NHL season|1995–96 season]] after the departure of [[Mike Keane]] to the [[Colorado Avalanche]] in December 1995. During the 1995–96 season, Turgeon would nearly record a 100-point season with 38 goals and 58 assists for 96 points; he would also play in the [[1996 National Hockey League All-Star Game|1996 NHL All-Star Game]].

[[File:Pierre Turgeon jersey in HHOF (photo by Djuradj Vujcic).jpg|thumb|right|A Blues jersey worn by Turgeon during the [[1999–2000 St. Louis Blues season|1999–00 season]], including an October 9, 1999 game in Edmonton against the Oilers where Turgeon recorded the 1,000th point of his 13-year NHL career, becoming just the 55th player in league history to reach the milestone.]]

===St. Louis Blues===
On October 29, 1996, Turgeon was traded to the [[St. Louis Blues]] (along with [[Rory Fitzpatrick]] and [[Craig Conroy]]) in exchange for [[Murray Baron]], [[Shayne Corson]] and a fifth-round pick in the [[1997 NHL Entry Draft]]. Turgeon spent the next five seasons producing well with the likes of [[Brett Hull]], [[Chris Pronger]], [[Al MacInnis]] and [[Grant Fuhr]] as teammates.  He averaged more than 70 points per season and scored several key post-season goals during his tenure in St. Louis.

===Dallas Stars and Colorado Avalanche===
On July 1, 2001, Turgeon joined the [[Dallas Stars]] as a free agent, followed by the [[Colorado Avalanche]] as a free agent on August 3, 2005. Turgeon took a year off during the [[2004–05 NHL lockout]]. Upon signing with the Avalanche, Turgeon switched his jersey number to #87 from his customary #77, as the number was retired by Colorado for [[Ray Bourque]].

On November 8, 2005, Turgeon became the 34th player in NHL history to score 500 goals, doing so against the [[San Jose Sharks]].

On September 5, 2007, Turgeon announced his retirement from the NHL.<ref>{{cite web|title=Pierre Turgeon retires from NHL|url=http://www.cbc.ca/sports/hockey/pierre-turgeon-retires-from-nhl-1.633207|website=cbc.ca|access-date=January 1, 2018|date=September 5, 2007}}</ref>