During his playing career, Dallas Stars goalie, Marty Turco, was a force to be reckoned with. Sports fans know him and all about his record-setting hockey career. But nowadays, Turco is making a much different name for himself off the ice.
What began on frozen ponds in a small Ontario town, blossomed into an enviable college, and then professional career. At the University of Michigan, Turco set an NCAA record with an impressive 127 wins as a goalkeeper followed by a magnificent 11-year run with three teams in the National Hockey League, including 9-years in Dallas.
With the Stars, Turco set NHL records. He was an All-Star and became one of the franchise’s most popular players while setting performance standards for others to follow.
His dedication to nonprofits is also admirable. “The Stars Foundation is kind of my baby,” says Turco, who is the current chairman of the board.
The Stars came to Dallas from Minnesota in 1993 and started a foundation the same year they won the Stanley Cup in 1999. “We’ve raised over $10 million since its inception.”
Turco says the Foundation works with over 25 nonprofits every year. “We also have our programs from literacy to education … it's very in-depth. Giving $2 million to St. Phillips School in South Dallas, which was unprecedented for a sports foundation,” he says.
Some local professional sports franchises have foundations that are endowed by ownership, a luxury as far as Turco is concerned. “We had to raise all the money and we touch a lot of bases.” He says the goal is to leave a lasting hockey imprint, and to “Leave Dallas better than we found it and be part of the fabric of the community.”
Beyond hockey, Turco recently began working with Dallas-based, Todd Interests, focused on a 5,000-acre development on the site of the former Fairfield Lake State Park in Freestone County, about 90 miles south of Dallas.
Promoted as a “lake and golf enclave encompassing the largest privately owned body of water in the U.S.,” Turco’s star power is expected to provide some extra sizzle to the $1 billion luxury community.
“In the new job, I am working for Freestone Club located in Fairfield, Texas. It is an amazing piece of property. They’re going to sell 350 lakeside lots, all acre-plus … with a golf course on an island.”
Turco is also exploring other interests, including the Kingsville Brewery, which he and his cousin, Mark Muzzin opened together. “Mark is a year younger than me, the brother I never had.”
The pair started the business together. “We’ve tried to bring the best of Canada down to Texas … and we’ll put up our beer against any brewery in North America.”
Count Turco as an ardent Park Cities fan. Ask him about his neighborhood and he’ll likely sound like a goodwill ambassador. Turco and his wife, Kelly, have two girls in college – and a 15-year-old-son at home, a freshman in high school, all of whom attended Highland Park schools.
“The value of the property is driven by the value of the people. For us, it’s been home since 2005. There is a reason why people want to live in the Park Cities.”
He says he encourages professional hockey players to live in the Park Cities. Turco describes the area as comfortable with an interesting mixture of people. “You get a little bit of everything,” he says. “My neighbors are from the Northeast and the West Coast, the Midwest and Canada, and all around the world. I find it to be like-minded people.”
He enjoys the people, and the area restaurants, including Al Biernat’s, Bob’s Steak & Chop House, and Banditos in Snider Plaza, all in his neck of the woods. Beyond being a great place to do business, “When it’s time to come home and just hang out, there is really no place my wife and I would rather be,” he says.
Turco believes there are distinct similarities between his Canadian hometown of Sault Ste. Marie, and the Park Cities. “Well, 8 million people versus 70,000 is very different,” he says. “But the similarities are there, including the outdoorsy nature of Texans.”
“I can see half the neighborhood on any given weekend on the way to their lease, lake house, to a ranch, or to play sports. That is the very thing I grew up with just at a different speed.”
“We all grew up going to church, knowing your neighbor … Canadians and Texans are gregarious, outgoing and enjoy comradery … the only difference is Canadians have to give their money away, and Texans get to keep it!”
The goal is to leave Dallas better than we found it and be part of the fabric of the community.
The value of the property is driven by the value of the people. For us, it’s been home since 2005. There is a reason why people want to live in the Park Cities.