Dan Patrick makes a kick save with Marty Turco

A condensed version of Dan Patrick's interview with Dallas Stars goalie Marty Turco appears in the Feb. 17 edition of ESPN The Magazine

	Marty Turco says he feels no pain during a game because he's "going on adrenaline."

DP: When you played against Patrick Roy, did he say you were lucky at the other end of the ice?
MT: I think the term he used was 'fortunate'. A French friend of mine got confused with the language barrier. But Patrick knew what he was talking about. We tied 1-1 the first game of the year and he said, "Yeah, he made some good saves but at times he was very fortunate." We got a big kick out of that.
DP: At least knew your name.
MT: Yeah, that's the thing. He acknowledged me. Bonus.
DP: Do you think he actually didn't know who you were?
MT: I think he might have known, but I don't think he cared to know.
DP: Is he the standard bearer for goalies? Is he the guy you look at and say, even as quirky as he is, "That's as good as it gets?"
MT: Yeah. That's longevity, that's success over time. Pressure-packed games, Stanley Cups, great seasons. You name it, that's the guy. The most intriguing thing about him is the way that his teammates view him. They look at him, know he's going to be a wall, and when it's tight they have a reassuring guy back there and that makes them more comfortable.
DP: Does it help to be a little bit goofy?
MT: Probably, because then you have an excuse for things you do.

DP: I know you went to Michigan, but I'm going to assume you are a Big Ten fan. Were you rooting for Ohio State to beat Miami in the Fiesta Bowl?
MT: This is a tricky one. Ron Tugnutt played in Columbus so now he thinks he's now an Ohio State guy, but he's not. He's a Canadian through-and-through, plays hockey and that's about it, but he cheered heavily for what he calls his team. When I was in school, Ohio State was good in both football and hockey. They made the Frozen Four for the first time in hockey, but we beat them a couple of times in football and then won the national championship. There's some bad blood there.
DP: You were going for Miami?
MT: Yes, and Ron and I had a bet where he would take a picture with a Michigan shirt and had if Miami won and I would wear the Ohio State gear if OSU won. We watched the game and by the end I was cheering for Ohio State just because it was such a great game. But it didn't get me out of wearing the T-shirt.

DP: Can Brian Griese skate?
MT: By my definition, no. He does the thing we call tripod. He gets out there with a stick and he looks like he's got three legs. But I took him out for the first time last year. He was born and bred in Miami and never went on skates when he was up in Michigan.

DP: The difference between Griese and Tom Brady?
MT: Brady gets all the girls.
DP: Does he wear the eye black off the field too to impress the ladies?
MT: I think he uses an excuse like, "Oh, I just forgot." Yeah, right.

DP: Tell me why the Frozen Four is better than the Final Four?
MT: It's not.
DP: Are there NCAA hockey pools like there are for the basketball tournament?
MT: Definitely. It's harder because it's a twelve team pool, and I think it's just as exciting but not as exposed.
DP: Yeah, but you've got the same teams in every year.
MT: With all the tournament games I've played, I've never repeated playing somebody. I've always played someone different.
DP: You went there four consecutive years, didn't you?
MT: We played eleven games, I think, and I played against Minnesota twice.
DP: Did you hate Minnesota?
MT: Yeah, I'm not a Gopher fan. I actually heard someone from there say U of M, and I had no idea they were referring to their own school.
DP: You thought it was MU?
MT: I had no idea.

DP: Why is it goaltenders don't have roommates?
MT: I don't know. My first years I had a roommate and everything was fine. Brendan Morrow was my roomie and I ran the show. I walked in and he'd do everything. Check the thermostat, close the blinds, pull down my bed, everything short of brushing my teeth. And then I got my own room and I was lost. Mr. Buff couldn't sleep, the sun was coming through my window at 5 a.m. and I had bad teeth after awhile. But I don't know why goaltenders don't have roommates. Maybe it's the naked stretching, I'm not sure.
DP: Do you actually do naked stretching.
MT: Yes.
DP: Explain.
MT: It's just the way I sleep and before I go to bed...
DP: There's naked stretching?
MT: Only this year, since I haven't had a roommate.
DP: So if you had a roommate there's no naked stretching?
MT: Correct.

DP: How does a goalie get ready for a game? Is it different than a forward or a center?
MT: It's just different for every individual, but for goaltenders focus is the main part. Once you get on the ice, the main objective besides warming up and stretching is your mindset. You have to be able to react to whatever happens. As soon as you have one thought in your head before or while a guy is shooting, you're in trouble. So you've just got to make sure you get out there clear-headed and focused.

DP: I watched you guys play Columbus and you were getting peppered. You were making saves, but at the same time your reaction seemed to say "This is difficult. Do these people know how good I am performing tonight?" Do you feel that way?
MT: No, I definitely don't feel that way. But if it seems difficult because of how fast the puck is going, that's because it is difficult. Go watch a practice and you'll realize why some guys don't have confidence.

DP: Who hit you with a slap shot that made you want to cry?
MT: Brett Hull was good enough that he never hit me, but he put one by my ears one time. He said, "Hey kid, I missed you on purpose."
DP: So he would buzz the tower just to let you know?
MT: Oh yeah, I spilled my coffee a few times with his shot. And if Jason Arnott hit me I would lose my breath for sure. His shot is heavy. It's not any harder in miles per hour, but there's something makes it drive right through me rather than bounce off.
DP: I notice you're not mentioning opponents.
MT: Al MacInnis hit me in the toe once.
DP: And?
MT: And I don't stick my toe out anymore.

DP: Are your pads legal?
MT: Yes, they're legal.
DP: Are you sure?
MT: Yes, I signed a legal affidavit saying that they are, and if they're not I will be fixing them in the next ten minutes.
DP: Are there are guys who cheat?
MT: I don't think so.
DP: All the goalies, their pads are the same size? No one would be cheating?
MT: They're not the same size, some are smaller, but no one exceeds the limit.

DP: Do you get along with the other goalies, or is it true that you guys don't like each other?
MT: No, there hasn't been a goaltender that I've never liked. Some might not want to talk to me but I've rarely met a guy that I have never liked.

DP: Why is there a gargoyle climbing over a brick wall painted on your mask?
MT: Because the gargoyle is the gatekeeper, the net protector. He's standing over top of what I want to be.
DP: Who came up with this?
MT: This guy named Ray Bishop from the Detroit area, he's the designer. And once I decided who would paint the masks, we came up with a few ideas and that was it. But initially it was his idea.

DP: What's the wildest thing you've thought about putting on your mask?
MT: I can't tell you.
DP: Why?
MT: Because my wife would kill me.
DP: Pamela Anderson?
MT: Ron Jeremy.

DP: Who is the Canadian celebrity you're most ashamed of?
MT: Paul Shaffer.
DP: You're not proud of Paul Shaffer? Would you like to take him into the corner, bang him into the boards?
MT: Yeah, I wish he was coming down the breakaway so I could run out and hit him.
DP: What Canadian celebrity are you most proud of?
MT: Right now a lot of them. But I'd have to say Michael J. Fox.
DP: And he could play a little bit.
MT: Good hockey fan. Good, talented guy. He's a good family man and since he was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease he's certainly had a positive influence, not only on his community but on the whole world.

DP: How many times during a game would you say you actually feel pain?
MT: Zero.
DP: So you're just going on adrenaline during a game?
MT: Yeah.
DP: After the game, when does pain set in?
MT: When the alarm goes off. First it's my head and then it's the rest of the body.
DP: Why does your head hurt?
MT: Because the alarm's going off.
DP: I thought it was because you were actually thinking during the game.
MT: Oh, no.

DP: Give me the product that you want to endorse?
MT: I want to do Target stores.
DP: Why?
MT: That's what I am. People call me Target all the time. I want to be one big bull's-eye.
DP: Why don't you put a bull's-eye on your mask?
MT: Hey, I've thought about it. And we've already made a call to them but I think we're running into league problems.

DP: If you didn't play on the same team with Mike Modano, would you hate him because he's like the Kevin Costner of the NHL?
MT: Yeah, I would spite him.
DP: He's a pretty boy?
MT: Yeah. American pretty boy playing in our league.
DP: Stealing all the women?
MT: Something like that.

DP: Are you a country music fan being in Dallas?
MT: Yeah. Big country music fan.
DP: Were you country before you got there?
MT: A little bit. My wife was always country and I'd listen to it whenever she was in the car. But now it's primarily what we listen to.
DP: Do you have cowboy boots?
MT: I do.
DP: Are they fancy?
MT: No, not really. Just regular old boots.
DP: What country stars have come to games or have you met through hockey?
MT: None, really.
DP: So Faith Hill and Tim McGraw haven't stopped by?
MT: Oh no, they don't have time for us. They go to Predators games. They're Nashville and Tim McGraw comes on the screen after they score. Pisses me off.
DP: Who do you want to meet in the country music world?
MT: I would love to meet George Strait. He's good and he's done it for a long time. He's like one of the godfathers.

DP: Do you identify with baseball catchers or pitchers because pitchers, like goalies, get credited for a win?
MT: I would say the pitcher more because they're more one dimensional. I can only stop pucks versus scoring them, and pitchers can only get people out as opposed to knocking them in.
DP: Could you be a catcher?
MT: Yeah, I could get down there and bark those signs out.

DP: Who from the past would you like to play against?
MT: I'd like to play against Bobby Hull, just to see if his shot was as hard as his son's, but only on the condition that I get to wear the equipment that I have now.
DP: Unlike what they wore back then?
MT: Yeah, those are real goalies.
DP: Could you imagine going without a mask?
MT: No.
DP: Did you ever go without a mask?
MT: No.
DP: Would it help your vision without a mask?
MT: No.
DP: Why?
MT: My eyes would be closed.

DP: Have you practiced your empty-net scoring?
MT: Every day. Well, I don't practice shooting on the net, I practice long passes to teammates. But whenever the opportunity comes, I'm ready. It's going over the top.

DP: Can you explain how the Ottawa Senators are going bankrupt? Should there be a tax break for Canadian hockey teams?
MT: Well, I don't know if that would solve the problem, but I think that our government should give them tax breaks. It's part of the fabric of our society and it would be bad to lose more NHL teams.

DP: How is Canada better than the United States?
MT: Better winters for hockey.
DP: Do they have better manners in Canada?
MT: Definitely.
DP: They're more polite in Canada?
MT: Not compared to Texas, but in general Canadians are more polite than Americans.
DP: Cleaner cities?
MT: Yeah, cleaner cities.
DP: I love Toronto, but I don't like Montreal at all.
MT: You don't like Montreal?
DP: No.
MT: The Frenchmen. Don't worry, we don't like them either.
DP: Do you speak French?
MT: No need for it because they all know English.