Scott Stevens

Lore & Background

Stevens started his career with the Capitals, where he helped the team make the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time. After spending a season with the Blues, he was acquired by the Devils through arbitration. Personifying the team's defence-first mentality, he captained the Devils to four Stanley Cup Final appearances in nine years, winning three of them. In 2000, he won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the 2000 Stanley Cup playoffs. Despite his team success with the Devils, he never won the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the league's best defenceman. Stevens was later inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2007, his first year of eligibility. Stevens retired with the most games played by an NHL defenceman (1,635 games), later passed by Chris Chelios and Zdeno Chara. Stevens was also the youngest player in league history to reach 1,500 games played, playing in his 1,500th game at age 37 years, 346 days. He had the most penalty minutes of any player enshrined in the Hall of Fame until Chris Chelios was inducted in 2013. In 2017, Stevens was named one of the '100 Greatest NHL Players' in history.

Reader's Guide

Stevens was born in Kitchener, Ontario, to Larry and Mary Stevens, the middle child of three brothers. He played in the 1976 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Kitchener. He attended Eastwood Collegiate Institute, where he played middle linebacker on the school's Canadian football team. He was taken ninth overall by his hometown Kitchener Rangers in the 1981 OHL draft. In the 1981–82 season, he helped the Rangers win the Memorial Cup. He was taken fifth overall in the 1982 NHL entry draft by the Washington Capitals. He made the team at age 18, scored on his first shot in his first NHL game, and made the All-Rookie Team. He finished third in Calder Memorial Trophy voting. He played for the Capitals until 1990, then spent a season with the St. Louis Blues before being acquired by the Devils through arbitration. He captained the Devils from 1992 to 2004, winning three Stanley Cups. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy in 2000. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2007.

Early Life and Junior Dominance

Born in Kitchener, Ontario, to Larry and Mary Stevens, the middle child of three brothers. Larry owned a paper products company and was also a semi-professional Canadian football player. All three Stevens brothers played hockey as children; older brother Geoff would later go on to be a scout for the New Jersey Devils, while Mike, the youngest, enjoyed a brief NHL career with several teams. As a youth, Stevens played in the 1976 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a minor ice hockey team from Kitchener. Growing up near Toronto, he was a fan of the Toronto Maple Leafs and idolized Leafs defenceman Börje Salming. Stevens attended Eastwood Collegiate Institute, where he played middle linebacker on the school's Canadian football team. One of his teammates was Markus Koch, who would go on to win a Super Bowl with the Washington Redskins. However, hockey was Stevens' true passion. He and his brothers often played hockey in the house, ruining the furniture repeatedly. He eventually earned a spot on the Kitchener Junior B team and passed on the opportunity to tour Czechoslovakia with the Kitchener midget team to play there. His play impressed scouts and he was taken ninth overall by his hometown Kitchener Rangers in the 1981 OHL draft. The 1981–82 Kitchener Rangers featured several future NHL players, including Al MacInnis. Stevens and Dave Shaw were an integral part of the Rangers' defence, playing in every game of the season en route to the team's Memorial Cup victory. Rangers head coach Joe Crozier said of Stevens, 'He's come a long way this year ... He's strong, tough, handles the puck well and has tremendous hockey sense.' Stevens led all rookie defencemen in scoring and was named the second-best defensive defenceman and second-best body-checker in a poll of OHL coaches.

The Washington Capitals Era

Selected fifth overall in the 1982 NHL entry draft by the Washington Capitals, Stevens made the team at age 18 and never played a game in the minor leagues. He made an immediate impact, scoring on his first shot in his first NHL game. He scored 25 points in his debut season and made the All-Rookie Team. He finished third in the voting for the Calder Memorial Trophy. Stevens' debut with the Capitals coincided with the team's first playoff appearance. The following year, he finished with 13 goals and 32 assists for 45 points. His 201 penalty minutes would lead the team. During this period, Stevens learned from veterans Rod Langway and Brian Engblom. Head coach Bryan Murray also helped calm the fiery young Stevens, who would learn to fight less and play harder. The 1984–85 season was a breakout year: he set a team record for defencemen by scoring 16 power play goals, and tied a team record for goals by a defenceman with 21. He earned a spot in the All-Star Game. During the 1987–88 season, Stevens set Capitals records for most assists and most points by a defenceman in a game, with five assists against the Los Angeles Kings on December 6, 1987. He finished the year second on the team in scoring with 12 goals and 60 assists for 72 points. He ended up finishing second behind Boston Bruins defenceman Ray Bourque in the voting for the James Norris Memorial Trophy. In addition, he was named as an NHL first team All-Star. Over eight seasons with the Capitals, Stevens finished with 98 goals and 429 points in 601 games.

Captaincy and Dynasty Success

After spending a season with the St. Louis Blues, Stevens was acquired by the New Jersey Devils through arbitration. Personifying the team's defence-first mentality, he captained the Devils from 1992 to 2004, guiding the team to four Stanley Cup Final appearances in nine years and securing three championships. His physical style of play was instrumental in their success, utilizing heavy body checking to neutralize opponents while maintaining offensive capability. In 2000, his exceptional performance during the playoffs earned him the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Most Valuable Player of the 2000 Stanley Cup playoffs. Although he never won the James Norris Memorial Trophy, Stevens' leadership was undeniable; he maintained a positive plus/minus rating in every single one of his 22 NHL seasons.

Records and Hall of Fame Legacy

Scott Stevens retired with the most games played by an NHL defenceman (1,635 games), later passed by Chris Chelios and Zdeno Chara. He also held the distinction of being the youngest player to reach 1,500 career games at age 37 years and 346 days. His aggressive style resulted in him holding the record for most penalty minutes among Hall of Fame inductees until Chris Chelios was enshrined in 2013. Stevens was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2007, his first year of eligibility. His career achievements were further recognized when he was named one of the "100 Greatest NHL Players" in history in 2017. He did not have a negative plus/minus in any of his 22 NHL seasons.

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