Most of the time, when a hockey fan mentions an enforcer people see a stereotype. A big, lumbering goon. A guy whose sole purpose is to go hit and inevitably fight. And to be fair, for a long time that was absolutely the case, I won’t try and convince you otherwise. This was especially the case in the late 80’s into the early 90’s when enforcers could still carve out a role at even the highest levels of hockey. However, there were cases where a player could not only be the teams police man, but at the same time have close to elite level skill. You needn’t look any further than the #6 entrant on my list, Turner Stevenson.
Stevenson, born in Prince George, BC in 1972. He played his minor career in PG and caught the attention of major junior scouts. His final year of midget, Stevenson recorded 91 points in 53 games. However, it wasn’t just his skill that was on display. Turner was a big, physical power forward, who could beat you not only with his immense talent, but with his body (or fists, as we came to find out later). He got his first taste of the Western Hockey League the following year, and his legend was born.
1988-1989 Turner made his WHL debut. He appeared in 69 games with Seattle and produced a modest 27 points in his rookie year, tallying 15 goals and 12 assists. However, he also managed to put up an impressive 84 penalty minutes. His hard-nosed style of play became his calling card over the next three seasons.
1989-1990 was a breakout year for Stevenson. When you share the ice with offensive stalwarts like Glen Goodall, Victor Gervais and Petr Nedved, finding a niche is paramount to getting noticed by scouts. Well, Stevenson found his, and it became his calling card throughout his career. What Stevenson lacked in pure offensive flash, he more than made up for in grit and toughness. Turner, in his second full season with Seattle put up a jaw dropping 276 penalty minutes during his sophomore campaign. One might think, oh cool, a guy who can fight and not much else. Well, he was also just under a point per game during the 1989-1990 season as well. Posting 29 goals and 32 assists for 61 points in 62 games. Seattle went on to play 13 post season games chipping 5 points (3G, 2A) and another 35 penalty minutes. His efforts did not go unnoticed. At the 1990 NHL entry draft, Stevenson was selected 12th overall by the Montreal Canadians.
In the 1990-1991 season, Turner picked up where he left off the previous year. He played in a career low 57 games, but produced a career high in points, scoring 36 goals and adding 27 assists, for 63 points. Stevenson continued his physical play as well, posting 222 penalty minutes. Seattle played only six playoff games in this season, however, Stevenson was a point-per-game player in the series, scoring once and adding five assists. Stevenson had one more year to excite Seattle fans.
1991-1992 was a huge year for the Seattle Thunderbirds, as they were named that year’s Memorial Cup host (the Spokane Chiefs would be the last American based CHL franchise to host the “Memmer” in 1998). Stevenson continued to build on the success of his previous two seasons. Again, he produced at close to a point-per-game, contributing 52 points (20G, 32A) in 58 games. Seattle went on to play 15 games in that season’s playoffs, losing to eventual champs, The Kamloops Blazers. Seattle finished third as Kamloops went on to capture the Memorial Cup over the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. Stevenson was named to the tournament all-star team. Stevenson also represented team Canada at the U20 World Junior Championship in 1992.
Stevenson spent the next three season going between the NHL and AHL playing with one of the Montreal Canadiens or the Fredericton Canadiens. It wasn’t until 1995-1996 that he found a full-time roster spot with Montreal. He was exposed in the 2000 expansion draft that welcomed the Columbus Bluejackets, and was subsequently flipped to the New Jersey Devils. Stevenson won the Stanley Cup with the Devils in the 2002-2003 season. The remainder of his playing career would be hampered by injuries and he was forced to retire following the 2006 season.
Stevenson has gone on to a successful coaching career locally in Seattle. He was an assistant with the Thunderbirds from 2007-2011. From 2016-2019 he took his talents north to Everett where he has coached the 16U team. As of next year, he will move up to the 18U team. Stevenson has had a lasting legacy in Seattle. He is the first comparison for any power forward to come through Seattle.
