1989-90 New York Rangers Darren Turcotte Jersey

Despite being born in Boston, Massachusetts, Darren Turcotte, born on this date in 1968, took the route of Canadian junior hockey to begin his path to the NHL. He played four very consistent seasons with the North Bay Centennials of the Ontario Hockey League from 1984-85 to 1987-88, scoring between 30 and 35 goals and 63 and 78 points each season. Following his second season with the Centennials, Turcotte was selected in the sixth round by the New York Rangers in the 986 NHL Entry Draft.

He played 8 games with the Colorado Rangers if the IHL after the conclusion of his final season of junior hockey and returned to the club, now rechristened the Denver Rangers for the majority of the 1988-89 season, averaging more than point per game, scoring 21 goals and 49 points in 40 games, a performance which earned him a chance to make his NHL debut with the New York Rangers. Turcotte, a center, appeared in 20 games during which he scored 7 goals and 10 points.

That would be the last he would see of the minor leagues, as he made the Rangers roster right from the start of the 1989-90 season and would seize the opportunity to set a career best in his first full season with 32 goals. Turcotte would follow that with a career high 67 points in 1990-91, a season in which he appeared in the NHL All-Star Game.

1991-92 saw the second 30 goal season of his career on his way to a 53 point season, which he matched in 1992-93, his fourth consecutive season over 50 points.

His fourth season with the Rangers saw him appear in only 13 games, scoring just twice prior to a trade to the Hartford Whalers in November, for whom he would play in just 19 games in what amounted to a lost season.

He regained some of his scoring touch in the abbreviated 1994-95 season, scoring 17 times in 47 games for the Whalers.

Turcotte packed his bags once more when he was dealt to the Winnipeg Jets just prior to the 1995-96 season. His time in Winnipeg was brief however, as the Jets sent him even further west in March of the same season. In all, Turcotte would score 22 goals in 68 games on his way to 43 points.

Turcotte would play the entire 1996-97 season with the Sharks before yet another deal saw him join the St. Louis Blues for the 1997-98 campaign, a season which would conclude with Turcotte finally returning to the NHL playoffs for the first time in six seasons since leaving the Rangers.

His final two seasons were as a member of the expansion Nashville Predators. where the veteran was made an assistant captain. After being limited to 40 games in their inaugural season, a knee injury would curtail his 1999-00 season after just 9 games. Turcotte would formally retire in March of 2000 with 635 games, 195 goals and 216 assists for 411 points during his NHL career.

Internationally, Turcotte would play for the United States at the 1987 and 1988 World Junior Tournament, with 1987's 6 goals and 10 points in 7 games standing out.

He would make one additional appearance for the USA as a member of their World Championship roster in 1993, scoring twice in 6 games.

Today's featured jersey is a 1989-90 New York Rangers Darren Turcotte jersey from the season he scored a career best 32 goals.

After the Rangers returned to their diagonally crested jerseys after a brief experience with jerseys crested with their shield logo, the had, for the first time ever, put "New York" on the front of their road blue jerseys. They would return to the traditional "Rangers" cresting in 1987-88, a season before Turcotte's arrival in Manhattan.

These sweaters had the names on the back straight across for Turcotte's first two seasons before a change to the now familiar vertically arched lettering used ever since.

Bonus Jersey: Today's bonus jersey is a 1998-99 Nashville Predators Darren Turcotte jersey from the predators inaugural season. This jersey has two unique features, one being the special shoulder patches which has the year 98 noted in them and the other being the fact the jersey was produced by Bauer, while every other jersey in the league having been made by either CCM, Nike or Starter. It would be the only season the Predators jerseys were made by Bauer, as they would switch to CCM the following season.

Photo courtesy of Classic Auctions

In today's video section, Turcotte scores near the end of this clip on a shorthanded breakaway against the Boston Bruins. Do not adjust your screen, the picture is that snowy.

Next, Turcotte scores on a nifty play against the Winnipeg Jets Nikolai Khabibulin.