Pierre Turgeon
By stan fischler
Basically, Pierre Turgeon was asked to do the near-impossible.
And he obliged.
On October 25, 1991 Pat LaFontaine was dealt to Buffalo in a multi-player exchange during which the Islanders obtained center Pierre Turgeon.
"That," said Dr. Max April, a long-time Islanders fan, "was a tough act for Turgeon to follow. Patty had been everybody's hero."
“Tough act to follow” -- in this particular case that was the understatement of the half-century.
LaFontaine ranked among the most proficient and popular scorers among the Nassaumen. And right up at the top when it came to sheer, natural popularity.
"I understood my situation," explained Turgeon, the handsome French-Canadian. "Once the fans realized that I was not going to be like Pat and that I would play my own game, I hoped they'd accept me. And they did."
How could they not?
In both style and personal elegance, Turgeon turned out to be the Islanders’ version of Jean Beliveau, the Montreal Canadiens majestic Hall of Fame center who was as beloved as a person as he was an artist on the ice.
"Call it 'class' or creativity or grace under pressure, Pierre had those qualities," enthused Bob Stampleman, publisher of Action Sports Hockey magazine who followed Turgeon throughout his Islanders career. "You just had to like this guy; just like Montrealers adored Beliveau."
LaFontaine would never be forgotten, but Turgeon’s play made him a quick fan favorite as he piled on points. He not only rejuvenated the franchise -- 340 points in 255 regular season games -- but delivered a sequence of highlight goals.
Between 1991 and 1995, Pierre was absolutely dominant, seemingly carrying the club single-handedly to victory. Teammate Steve Thomas put the Turgeon persona in perspective.
Thomas: "Pierre is different than most superstars. He doesn't know how good he is. So, when I have a chance, I remind him."
The Rangers didn't need reminding on the night of April 2, 1993 in a game that would decide a playoff berth between the two rivals. Turgeon's overtime goal at 3:41 gave the Isles a 3-2 triumph and the eventual gate to the postseason.
In French-Canada, Pierre's admirers would say, “ll gagne ses epaulettes.”
He earned his stripes. Just to underline the point; Turgeon's Ranger-killer goal was his 50th of the season.
There were many more goals, and all seemed to be a work of art. For four elegant years, Pierre was, in fact, the graceful face of the franchise.