Former NY Islanders star Pierre Turgeon reveals Dale Hunter comments after dirty hit

In his appearance on the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast with Ryan Whitney and Paul Bissonette, Pierre Turgeon recalled the unforgettable atmosphere at Nassau Coliseum during the 1993 playoffs. “Electric,” he said of the building, as the Islanders stormed past Washington in the opening round before shocking the heavily favored Pittsburgh Penguins in Game 7 overtime on David Volek’s goal from Ray Ferraro.

That magical run took a devastating turn when Turgeon scored the series-clinching goal against Washington. As he turned into the corner to celebrate, Capitals forward Dale Hunter blindsided him with a late hit. “I separated my shoulder instantly,” Turgeon said. “I knew it was bad.” Surprisingly, he said there had been no prior battles with Hunter in the series. “Three days later, he called and said he didn’t realize I’d scored.”

The injury kept Turgeon out for much of the Penguins series, but his desire to contribute never wavered. He pleaded with legendary head coach Al Arbour to at least let him dress for Game 7 in Pittsburgh, even if he couldn’t play full shifts. In overtime, Arbour came over and asked, “Do you have a shift in you?” Turgeon said yes, fueled by adrenaline. But before he could step on the ice, Ferraro scored the series-winner to send the Islanders to the conference finals.

While the win over Pittsburgh remains one of the franchise’s great playoff moments, Turgeon admitted that the emotional and physical toll of that series lingered. “Probably,” he said when asked if it took too much out of the team for the next round. “Montreal was great that year. They had Patrick Roy and a strong team.”

The Hunter hit remains one of the most infamous moments in Islanders history, cutting short the playoff run of their star center in his prime.