Scott Stevens

Did You Know?

• Stevens retired with the most games played by an NHL defenceman (1,635), later passed by Chris Chelios and Zdeno Chara.
• He did not have a negative plus/minus in any of his 22 NHL seasons.
• In May 1990, Stevens was accused of raping a 17-year-old girl alongside teammates; the court case fell apart.

Early life

Stevens grew up in Kitchener, Ontario, as the middle of three boys born to Larry and Mary Stevens. His father ran a paper products company and played semi-professional Canadian football. All three brothers played hockey growing up; older brother Geoff later scouted for the New Jersey Devils, and younger brother Mike had a short NHL career. As a kid, Stevens played in the 1976 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with a Kitchener minor team.

A Toronto Maple Leafs fan, he looked up to defenseman Borje Salming. At Eastwood Collegiate Institute, he played middle linebacker on the football team alongside Markus Koch, who would win a Super Bowl with the Washington Redskins. Stevens made the Kitchener Junior B team and was selected ninth overall by the Kitchener Rangers in the 1981 OHL draft. The 1981-82 Rangers, featuring future NHLers like Al MacInnis and Brian Bellows, won the Memorial Cup, with Stevens playing every game. He was voted the second-best defensive defenseman and second-best body-checker by OHL coaches.

Playing career

Stevens was selected fifth overall in the 1982 NHL entry draft by the Washington Capitals. He made the team at age 18 due to training camp injuries and scored on his first shot in his first NHL game. He finished third in Calder Memorial Trophy voting and was named to the All-Rookie Team. His debut season coincided with the Capitals' first playoff appearance. The following year he nearly doubled his point total, finishing with 45 points, and led the team in penalty minutes. Stevens learned from veterans Rod Langway and Brian Engblom and was calmed by head coach Bryan Murray. After a season with the St. Louis Blues, he was acquired by the New Jersey Devils through arbitration. He captained the Devils to four Stanley Cup Final appearances in nine years, winning three. He never won the James Norris Memorial Trophy.

International play

Stevens represented Canada in several international competitions. He attended summer camp for the 1983 World Junior Championships but could not join due to his Capitals commitment. His first senior tournament was the 1983 World Ice Hockey Championships, where he won a bronze medal. He was on the 1984 Canada Cup team but did not play. He played two games in the 1987 tournament, where Canada finished fourth. Two years later he scored two goals as Canada again won silver; during that tournament he received 88 stitches after Börje Salming's skate sliced his face. Stevens won the 1991 Canada Cup. In the 1996 World Cup of Hockey he had two assists as Canada finished second. He played in the 1998 Olympics, going scoreless as Canada finished fourth. He attended Canada's orientation camp for the 2002 Games but did not make the final roster.

Legacy

Stevens, the longest-serving captain in Devils history, mentored younger defensemen such as Colin White and Brian Rafalski. His number 4 was the first retired by the Devils, raised on February 3, 2006; the Kitchener Rangers also retired number 3 for him. He left a controversial legacy, regarded as among the most feared defensemen to play against and one of the hardest hitters in NHL history. Some players accused him of playing cheap and intentionally injuring opponents.

The Sporting News named him the fifth-most fearsome player in NHL history in 2001, and he was voted the toughest player in the NHL. Victims of his body checks included Slava Kozlov, Eric Lindros, Paul Kariya, Shane Willis, and Ron Francis. After a hit on Shane Willis, Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Artūrs Irbe said Stevens was trying to kill Willis, though Willis insisted the hit was clean. Stevens earned the nickname 'Captain Crunch' for changing game momentum with hard checks.