Marty Turco
A revolutionary puck-handling goalie who acted as a third defenseman, changing how the position was played in the modern NHL.
Born 1975 (age 51)·Canadian ice hockey player·Birthday: August 13·Generation X
Biography
Marty Turco didn't just stop pucks; he commanded the game from his crease. In an era where most goalies were taught to stay put, the Sault Ste. Marie native was a roving playmaker, his stickhandling skills so advanced they forced opponents to completely rethink their forecheck. After a decorated college career at the University of Michigan, he took over the net for the Dallas Stars and immediately made his mark with a hybrid, aggressive style. Turco backstopped the Stars to multiple playoff appearances and set franchise records for wins and shutouts. His ability to launch precise breakout passes often turned defense into instant offense, a trait that made him uniquely valuable. While a Stanley Cup championship eluded him, his influence was profound, inspiring a generation of goalies to embrace puck-playing as a core weapon. Today, he brings that same sharp analytical mind to his work as a television analyst.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Marty was born in 1975, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Marty Was Born
The biggest hits of 1975
#1 Movie
Jaws
Best Picture
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Marty's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1975Born
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1980Started school
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1988Became a teenager
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1991Could drive
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1993Could vote
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1996Turned 21
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
2005Turned 30
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2015Turned 40
Paris climate agreement; same-sex marriage legalized in the US
Gas: $2.43/galHome: $171,900Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Uptown Funk" — Mark Ronson ft. Bruno MarsBest Picture: Spotlight
2025Turned 50
AI agents go mainstream
Gas: $3.10/galHome: $385,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"APT." — Rose & Bruno Mars
2026Age 51 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Holds the Dallas Stars franchise records for most career wins (262) and shutouts (40).
- Won two NCAA national championships with the University of Michigan in 1996 and 1998.
- Led the NHL in goals-against average twice (2001–02, 2002–03) and save percentage once (2000–01).
- Recorded 41 assists in the regular season, an exceptionally high number for a goaltender.
Did You Know?
He is one of only a handful of NHL goalies to score a goal, though it was credited during a delayed penalty, not a shot into an empty net.
He won the Frank Brimsek Award as the top high school goaltender in Minnesota despite being from Canada.
He served as an analyst for the NHL Network after his playing career ended.
“You have to be able to handle the puck to control the game.”
