One of J.P. Turner’s favorite quotes is, “Rome wasn’t built in a day.” The 18-year-old center keeps the quote tucked away in the back of his mind as he continues to develop as a hockey player.
“Everything isn’t going to come all at once,” Turner said.
The 5-foot-11, 194-pounder is right. But his blossoming hockey career is certainly moving in the right direction.
Now in his third year at Avon Old Farms School after starting this season in the United States Hockey League with the Sioux Falls Stampede, Turner recently was given a ‘C’ rating by National Hockey League Central Scouting on its preliminary players to watch list for the 2021 NHL draft, indicating that he’s a candidate to be selected in the fourth, fifth or sixth round.
Turner said seeing his name on the list was a special moment, but it mostly served as a reminder to keep working hard. “That list has no promises on it,” Turner said. “There are going to be lists and articles that come out, and whether you’re on them or not it’s just more fuel for the fire.”
The flames charging Turner’s hockey passion have been burning for as long as he can remember. His first memory of being on the ice was when he was a little kid sitting on a small chair being pushed around by his dad, John, on a frozen bog close to their East Falmouth, Mass., home. He started skating when he was 4 years old and learned the basics in a learn-to-skate and hockey 101 program. He then began playing the sport at age 7, suiting up for the local Falmouth youth hockey travel team.
Right from the outset of his hockey journey, Turner has been proud to represent his hometown.
“My dad instilled in me to take pride in where you come from,” Turner stated. “I loved playing for Falmouth in my youth hockey days.”
Turner’s next squad was the Boston Junior Terriers, where he was coached by Mike Grier (Holliston, Mass.), a former right wing who played 14 seasons in the NHL.
“Coach Grier has such an awesome résumé and is a really great person,” Turner said. “I was really excited to be coached by him and take in everything he had to offer. He understands the game and gave me a good push that I needed development-wise. He taught me the game and how to think it and see it differently, showed me how to utilize my strengths more and gave me tips on how to improve my weaknesses. He had such a big part in my development growing up, and I was really lucky to play for him.”
The best piece of advice Turner received from Grier was to “stay calm.”
“Hockey is a game of emotions,” Turner said. “There are going to be ups and downs throughout the game, but stay levelheaded and let the game come to you.”
The inspirational quotes from coaches kept coming throughout Turner’s freshman year at Falmouth High School during the 2017-18 campaign. Except this time, the words of wisdom were spoken by a coach he’s known since birth — his father, who played four seasons for the Falmouth Clippers.
“It’s special that we both went to Falmouth,” said Turner, who recorded 43 points (22-21-43) in 23 games at the school. “Before the season started, my dad was giving me a hard time about his points, keeping me levelheaded and telling me not to put the cart before the horse. I had that little competition with him.”
Turner took another step in his development during the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons when he suited up for the Neponset Valley River Rats 16-U squad and Avon Old Farms.
The right-handed shooter considers his time with the River Rats in the first half of the 2018-19 campaign to be an important factor in helping him prepare to perform at the prep school hockey level in the latter part of the season.
“In my first year, I played up with the 16-U team, which had a couple ’03s but was mostly ’02s,” Turner recalled. “To play with older and more skilled players, and play against them as well, was good for me. It was fun to go against those guys and see all the talent that the region has to offer.”
With Neponset Valley, Turner played for coaches Stephen Needham and Ben McManama. He feels they helped him process the game faster, especially while playing at a higher level. He added that they were “pretty calm.”
“They let us play,” Turner said, “and in between periods and sometimes between shifts they offered good tips and showed us different looks and how to think differently.”
Although Turner did all he could to get ready for prep school hockey, he still considers his first season at Avon Old Farms to be the toughest challenge he’s had to overcome on and off the ice. The most important lesson he learned was how important the offseasons are for improving as a player.
“It was a real eye-opener,” Turner explained. “After that first season at Avon, I knew that the summer had to be a grind. I remember every time in the gym just thinking about next season and how I was going to play. You have to work on your weaknesses and improve your strengths, and then you’ll see results. It may not be the next day, but they’ll come.”
In Turner’s case, they came in the very next season. After tallying 13 points (5-8-13) in 25 games in 2018-19, he nearly tripled his production in 2019-20, totaling 35 points (19-16-35) in 27 contests.
“J.P. is a guy with a big upside,” Avon Old Farms head coach John Gardner said. “When he came to Avon, we knew what we had to work on, and he’s worked on that. He’s got a really good shot. He’s one of those guys who can get it off and be successful by using that. He’s worked on his skating, and he’s gotten a lot better because he works with (skills instructor) Paul Vincent in the offseason. Looking down the road, I like his compete level. He loves the game. He’s very coachable. And he tries to be a student of the game. Kids like that are kids who are going to get better because they are going to take it to heart. When you tell them they need to work on part of their game, they will.”
Turner’s favorite hockey moment so far at Avon Old Farms came toward the end of last season when his squad defeated Salisbury School, 3-0, on the road.
“The bus ride home was so fun,” Turner recounted. “That’s a game we always have circled on our calendar, and for all of us to work together and get that win on the road on the big sheet meant a lot. Everyone was smiling on the bus. It was a really great time.”
Turner started the 2020-21 season in Sioux Falls and knew ahead of time that it was going to be a tall task to succeed in the junior circuit, but he was excited to embrace a new challenge. As it turned out, a ton of talented players from other junior leagues and colleges descended upon the USHL amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It became a really deep league with all the other guys coming into it,” said Turner, who scored four goals in 19 games. “It made it so competitive. Every day was a game at practice. It was the hardest hockey I’ve played, and I wish I could’ve produced more offensively, but it’s more about what you learn. You’re going to be challenged, and everywhere you go it gets more difficult to produce. It was a really good experience, and I loved playing at that level.”
Now back in New England, Turner is seeking to continue fine-tuning his craft at Avon Old Farms. Except this season, his jersey is a tad heavier since the captain’s ‘C’ is stitched onto it.
“Not a lot of people get a chance to be a captain and be a leader, and J.P. has embraced his leadership role at Avon,” Gardner said. “His personality is such that he’s able to be a good leader.”
Turner’s love of playing hockey and being part of a team is what impresses Gardner the most.
“Being part of a team teaches you something. The greatest life lessons are learned that way,” Gardner explained. “When I was part of the hiring committee at the school, I always looked for people who were on teams. In particular, I looked for somebody who captained a team because that told me that the person knew how to be a leader and knew how to work with other people. And that’s what J.P. is really good at doing. Whether he ever plays in the NHL is one thing — he certainly aspires to do that, like most young hockey players. The one thing he’ll take away is enjoying being part of a team, and particularly getting a chance to lead a team. And wow! That’s a home run.”
In addition to taking pride in playing for his school, Turner is equally appreciative of every moment he spends on campus away from the rink.
“Avon Old Farms is a special place,” Turner said. “Every day I wake up and love putting the shirt and tie on, even though I like to dress casually. I love being a part of this brotherhood and everything it has to offer. Being here has really matured me. When you live away from home, you’re forced to grow up, and I can’t thank the faculty and my peers enough. Everyone here wants each other to succeed and everyone here is a great person.”
Turner especially enjoys working at the school store with some of his teammates.
“Extra time with the boys is awesome,” Turner said, “and seeing the other guys on campus is great.”
Turner won’t have to travel far when it comes to one of his next hockey stops — he’ll cross state lines to attend the University of New Hampshire. His aunt Colleen Coyne (East Falmouth, Mass.), a member of the gold medal-winning United States women’s ice hockey team at the 1998 Winter Olympics, played at UNH for four years. It’s one of the reasons he selected the college, but far from the only one.
“I saw UNH as the best place for me to develop as a person and as a player,” Turner said. “I trust the coaching staff; I really liked them when I got on campus. When I went to a game, the atmosphere there was like none other. I thought it was the coolest thing. They were playing Maine. The Whittemore Center Arena is a great place to play. I’m really looking forward to getting on the ice there. I’ve wanted to go to UNH for a while.”
Perhaps the most prominent perk for Turner is that his mom, Kerryn, and his dad will be able to come and watch him play every weekend. It’ll be the perfect thank-you gift to them for all they’ve done for him thus far.
Concluded Turner: “My parents always made sure I had good morals and values growing up. No matter how well I can do on the ice or in school, what they care most about is how I am as a person. I’m a big believer in good things come to good people, and my mom is a big believer in karma. They’ve been great, especially with hockey and how many ups and downs there can be.
“One thing my dad always told me was it’s a marathon, not a sprint. My goal is to get better every day, day by day, and make the most of every time I’m in the gym or on the ice, and I can’t thank them enough for showing me that. They’ve been an awesome support group, and I can’t wait to see where we keep going.”
