Turgeon still finishing the play
EX-NHLER enjoying career in homes sector
Nothing like stopping a puck with one’s face to make a person re-evaluate options for the future.
So it was with former National Hockey League player Sylvain Turgeon who, in the sunset of his 19-year pro hockey career, was playing in Ger- many when a deflection caught him under the left eye, requiring reconstructive surgery.
“It was going a hundred miles an hour when it deflected off the shaft of a stick and hit me,” says the now 49-year-old service technician for Shane Homes.
“Right then I thought ‘it’s time to make a change.’”
That decision brought to an end an impressive 12-year NHL career, which included six with the Hartford Whalers, three with the Ottawa Senators, two with Montreal Canadiens, and a single season with the New Jersey Devils.
During that stretch, he amassed 669 games, racking up 269 goals and adding 226 helpers.
He closed out his hockey career with a seven-year stint in Europe.
Originally drafted second overall by the Whalers in 1983-84, the Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec native piled up 72 points that year, including 40 goals, and was named to the NHL’s All-Rookie team.
So after nearly two decades of playing hockey for a living, Turgeon — tagged with the moniker Sly at his first Whalers’ practice and a nickname he still goes by today — faced the challenges of finding a new career to help support his wife, Kim, and their children Sebastian, Claudia and Maxim.
When he decided to hang up the blades, Turgeon took advantage of an assessment program offered by the NHL for retiring players to help set some new career directions for life after hockey.
The results of the assessment showed Turgeon was best suited for real estate, sales or construction.
He tried the other suggested avenues, but always came back to construction.
“My dad is a handyman, so I kind of followed in his footsteps and went the construction route. It was a natural for me because I’ve always been interested in the housing industry and construction. I have renovated my own homes over the years, and helped friends and neighbours with their projects. It’s what I like to do, it was me,” he says.
After the nomadic life of a pro hockey player, the Turgeons are happy to have settled in Calgary. Sly Turgeon liked the city and the fact they had a lot of family here. As well, he says, “it was evident there were a lot of opportunities here to develop a new career” and to create a healthy and happy lifestyle for his family.
Turgeon has worked in the new home building industry for the past 12 years. He’s been with Shane Homes for the past three years as part of a team involved in pre- and post-possession customer service. Turgeon spends his time stickhandling through the maze of trades’ and suppliers’ vehicles in Shane’s Stonehedge development of duplex homes in the southeast community of Legacy by West-Creek Developments to provide service assistance to home buyers.
Sly is very proud to be part of the Shane Homes team, who he describes as having great leadership.
Getting into my van every day and heading out to the site is fun
SYLVAIN TURGEON
“Everyone works as part of a team at Shane Homes,” he says. “We build mutually respectful relationships with our colleagues, clients, suppliers and customers. Everyone is treated with fairness and respect. As an employee I feel valued.”
Turgeon likes that Shane Homes has a strong reputation for community involvement.
“I became actively involved in community service at a very young age as a professional athlete and now I am still involved through Shane Homes.”
Turgeon says his current career is not that different from his years in the NHL.
“When I played hockey, I was a goal scorer. My job was to finish off the play,” he says. “Same with this job. As a service team, our goal is to work hard to deliver a home free of deficiencies. That’s what I mean by finishing off the play.”
That could mean paint touch-ups, repairs to woodwork, drywall and other repairs, and arranging for tradespeople to make some of the more in-depth repairs or modifications requested by the homeowner during a walk-through. He also educates buyers on how various systems like the furnace and hot water heater in the home operate.
Turgeon’s outgoing manner makes him a natural for the service job, talking casually with buyers at scheduled walk-through inspections prior to possession. And later, while working the tools, he tries to look at the home he’s working on from their perspective, striving to ensure each home meets the high standards set by Shane.
“I know how exciting the day they are handed the keys can be and I get excited for them. That’s why I try to find any deficiencies and have them fixed before they take possession,” he says.
Sly still enjoys playing hockey with a bunch of friends once a week, puttering in his garden, participating in community work and spending time with his family. Turgeon doesn’t consider what he does for a living as work.
“I’m having fun. Getting into my van every day and heading out to the site is fun. I’m enjoying myself.”
And these days, he doesn’t have to worry about catching any deflections.