Ex Dallas Star Marty Turco Making the Rounds in Chicago

Marty Turco was officially introduced as a Blackhawk this week, becoming the second long time Dallas Star to don a central division, red-laden sweater of an original six team. Not quite as painful as the Modano press conference last month, no, but a little uncomfortable for the Stars fan anyway.

He's in full PR force this week around Chicago as he tries to get his feet set in his new home before starting his first non-Stars camp in a couple of weeks.

Turco aficionados can enjoy this video and Marty's celebrated media savvy. Particularly when these two clucking hens ask Marty Turco (35) how he can possibly step into Antti Niemi's (27) big shoes. Marty shoots that notion down quite easily and expertly. (via ABC affiliate in Chicago)

NHL.com has a good story on the goings-on yesterday. Details are starting to emerge in every Turco engagement suggesting that Marty had targeted/was hoping for the Blackhawks very early on in the process once he realized he would not be coming back to Dallas. Bowman indicated that he had spoke to Marty before the Niemi situation had been fully resolved, and told him that he was backup plan #1.:

He said Turco was his "Plan A" if things with Niemi didn't work out. But that meant Turco having to wait out a lengthy contract negotiation for Niemi that didn't get resolved until an arbitration ruling in late July.

"I said (to Marty), ‘If you've got to do something else, that's your prerogative,'" Bowman said.  "I didn't mislead him and say we've got anything in the pocket here. They were interested. From what he said, this is where he wanted to be. He obviously had hoped that it would work out." [NHL.com]

And in case you missed the fanshot posted a couple of weeks ago, you can see his new masks here.

He'll be wearing #30 in Chicago as #35 has of course been retired there for Tony Esposito.