| Scott Stevens | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Hockey Hall of Fame, 2007 | |||
 Stevens (right) withGeorge W. Bush in 2003 | |||
| Born | (1964-04-01)April 1, 1964 (age 60) Kitchener, Ontario, Canada | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | ||
| Weight | 215 lb (98 kg; 15 st 5 lb) | ||
| Position | Defence | ||
| Shot | Left | ||
| Played for | Washington Capitals St. Louis Blues New Jersey Devils | ||
| National team |  Canada | ||
| NHL draft | 5th overall,1982 Washington Capitals | ||
| Playing career | 1982–2004 | ||
Ronald Scott Stevens (born April 1, 1964) is a Canadian professionalice hockey coach and former player. As adefenseman, Stevens played 22 seasons in theNational Hockey League (NHL) for theWashington Capitals,St. Louis Blues andNew Jersey Devils, serving ascaptain of the Devils from 1992 to 2004. Although offensively capable, his defensive play and his heavybody checking on opponents were crucial to his success.
Stevens started his career with the Capitals, where he helped the team make theStanley 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 fourStanley Cup Finals appearances in nine years, winning three of them. In2000, he won theConn Smythe Trophy as themost valuable player of the2000 Stanley Cup playoffs. Despite his team success with the Devils, he never won theJames Norris Memorial Trophy as the league's best defenceman. His career came to an end after aslapshot hit his head and causedpost-concussion syndrome.
Stevens was later inducted into theHockey 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 byChris Chelios andZdeno 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 did not have a negativeplus/minus in any of his 22 NHL seasons and 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.[1]
Stevens was born inKitchener, Ontario, to Larry and Mary Stevens, the middle child of three brothers.[2][3][4] Larry owned a paper products company and was also asemi-professionalCanadian football player.[3] All three Stevens brothers played hockey as children; older brother Geoff would later go on to be ascout for the New Jersey Devils, whileMike, the youngest, enjoyed a brief NHL career with several teams.[4]
As a youth, Stevens played in the 1976Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with aminor ice hockey team from Kitchener.[5] Growing up near Toronto, he was a fan of theToronto Maple Leafs and idolized Leafs defencemanBörje Salming.[6][7] Stevens attendedEastwood Collegiate Institute, where he playedmiddle linebacker on the school's Canadian football team.[7] One of his teammates wasMarkus Koch, who would go on to win aSuper Bowl with theWashington Redskins of theNational Football League.[8] However, hockey was Stevens' true passion. He and his brothers often played hockey in the house, ruining the furniture repeatedly.[8] He eventually earned a spot on the Kitchener Junior B team and passed on the opportunity to tourCzechoslovakia with the Kitchener midget team to play there.[9] His play impressed scouts and he was taken ninth overall by his hometownKitchener Rangers in the 1981Ontario Hockey League (OHL) draft.[3]
The 1981–82 Kitchener Rangers were a team that featured several future NHL players. The defensive corps includedDave Shaw andAl MacInnis,Wendell Young was the team's starting goaltender, and the top-scoring line on the team wasJeff Larmer,Brian Bellows andGrant Martin.[10] Stevens and Shaw were an integral part of the Rangers' defence, playing in every game of the seasonen route to the team'sMemorial Cup victory. In addition, both played in the OHL All-Star Game.[11] Rangers head coachJoe 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."[11] 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.[3]
Stevens was taken fifth overall in the1982 NHL Entry Draft by theWashington Capitals. Due to injuries to other players during training camp, Stevens made the team at age 18 and never played a game in the minor leagues.[12] He made an immediate impact, scoring on his first shot in his first NHL game.[3] He scored 25 points in his debut season and made the All-Rookie Team. In addition, he led all rookie defencemen in penalty minutes. He finished third in the voting for theCalder Memorial Trophy, which is awarded to the league's Rookie of the Year. He was also named the Capitals' Rookie of the Year.[3] Stevens' debut with the Capitals coincided with the team's first playoff appearance, although they were eliminated in the first round by theNew York Islanders.[13][14]
The following year, he would nearly double his point total from the previous year, finishing with 13 goals and 32 assists for 45 points. Only teammateLarry Murphy had more points among defencemen.[15] His 201 penalty minutes would lead the team; he would ultimately lead the Capitals in the category five times during his tenure with the team, and eventually set the team record for most career penalty minutes by a defenceman.[3] However, Stevens' success did not translate to the Capitals, who were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs by the Islanders.[15] During this period, Stevens learned from veteransRod Langway and defensive linemateBrian Engblom on the finer points of playing defence.[16] Head coachBryan Murray also helped calm the fiery young Stevens, who would learn to fight less and play harder.[16] Stevens spoke fondly of his time with the Capitals years later, saying:[16]
We had a great bunch of guys and we worked hard. We were great defensively. We might have been at times a little challenged scoring and we might have been a bit challenged in the goal at times... But there are no regrets.
— Scott Stevens
The1984–85 season would be a breakout year for Stevens. He set a team record for defencemen by scoring 16power play goals,[12] and tied a team record for goals by a defenceman with 21.[3] His performance was good enough to land him a spot in theAll-Star Game.[3] Stevens would lead all Capitals defencemen in scoring for the first time, finishing the year with 21 goals and 44 assists,[17] and earned the team's Fan Favorite Award.[3] His offensive abilities and size made Murray consider moving him towinger.[12] The Capitals finished second in the Patrick Division, but were out of the playoffs early again, this time courtesy of the Islanders.[17] Before thenext season, the Capitals acquiredDwight Schofield in the waiver draft. Schofield was known for his abilities as anenforcer, and his goal was to keep other teams' hitters away from Stevens and Langway, who were deemed too valuable to lose to penalties.[12] The plan worked, as Stevens finished with 165 penalty minutes, the lowest in his career to that point. He also added 15 goals and 38 assists that season.[18] However, the Capitals continued their playoff woes; after defeating the Islanders in the first round, they lost to theNew York Rangers in the division finals.[19]
The1986–87 season saw Stevens return to his old ways, as he spent a career-high 283 minutes in the penalty box. The total set a Capitals record (since broken) for penalty minutes in a season.[3] Despite missing three games with a broken rightindex finger, an injury he suffered against the Islanders, Stevens would finish the year third on the team in scoring with 61 points; his 51 assists were also good enough for second on the Capitals. The Caps were once again eliminated by the Islanders in the first round of the playoffs.[20]
During the1987–88 season, Stevens set Capitals records for most assists and most points by a defenceman in a game, with five assists against theLos Angeles Kings on December 6, 1987.[3] Later that season, he would score at least one assist in eight consecutive games, setting another team record for defencemen.[3] He finished the year second on the team in scoring with 12 goals and 60 assists for 72 points, tops among all Capitals blueliners.[21] He ended up finishing second behindBoston Bruins defencemanRay Bourque in the voting for theJames Norris Memorial Trophy. In addition, he was named as anNHL first team All-Star.[3] Stevens would suffer a shoulder injury in the first round of the playoffs against thePhiladelphia Flyers, a series the Capitals would win.[3] He returned in time for the Capitals' divisional finals against his future team, theNew Jersey Devils. Despite tying a team record by posting four assists in Game 6 of the series,[3][22] the Capitals fell four games to three.[21]
The Capitals won the Patrick Division in the1988–89 season, and Stevens' 68 points (including a team-leading 61 assists) led Caps defencemen. He had 225 penalty minutes; this was the last time Stevens would have over 200 minutes in his career.[23] He was named to his second All-Star game, and added an assist as theWales Conference lost to theCampbell Conference 9–5.[24] However, the Caps could not translate their regular-season success into the playoffs, as they lost in the first round to the Flyers.[23] The1989–90 season saw mixed success for Stevens. He struggled, as he was beset with injuries, including a broken foot that caused him to miss nearly two months. In addition, he was suspended for three games for gougingChicago Blackhawks playerDave Manson in the eye during a fight. Stevens said he never hit Manson's eye, but that the eye hit Stevens' helmet during the fight.[3] Missing a third of the season led to Stevens' lowest point total since his rookie year; he finished with just 11 goals and 29 assists for 40 points, although it was still second among Capitals defencemen.[18][25] Despite his lowered stats, the Capitals made their furthest inroads in the playoffs ever. After defeating the Devils in the first round and the Rangers in the second round, the Capitals were in the conference finals for the first time in team history where they were swept by the Bruins.[25]
Over eight seasons with the Capitals, Stevens finished with 98 goals and 429 points in 601 games.[12] He also set team records (all since broken) for penalty minutes (1,630), games played by a defenceman (601), points by a defenceman (429), goals by a defenceman (98), assists by a defenceman (331), playoff games played (67), playoff points (53), playoff assists (44) and playoff goals by a defenceman (9).[3]
After eight seasons in Washington, Stevens felt it was time to move on.[16] TheSt. Louis Blues courted him and offered a four-year deal worth $5.145 million. Since he was a restricted free agent, Washington had the option to match theoffer sheet. However, they declined and consequently received two first-round draft picks plus $100,000 in cash, turning into five first-round picks if the Capitals did not have a top-seven draft pick in the 1991 or 1992 entry drafts, as compensation (two of these picks would becomeSergei Gonchar andBrendan Witt).[3][12]
Stevens' signing had far-reaching ramifications on player contracts in the NHL. At the time, the deal made him the highest-paid defenceman in the league.[16] In addition, the deal included a $1.4 million signing bonus.[3] Several defencemen considered superior players to Stevens, including Ray Bourque andChris Chelios, were earning less money, and Capitals defencemanKevin Hatcher held out until he received a contract similar to Stevens'.[16] General managers worried that these players would begin demanding bigger contracts. The players did end up asking for more money, and this escalation was one of the factors in the1994–95 NHL lockout several seasons later.[3][12]
After he arrived in St. Louis, Stevens was named captain of the Blues.[12] He scored 5 goals and added 44 assists for 49 points, good enough for fifth on a team led byBrett Hull andAdam Oates.[26] He also made theCampbell Conference All-Star team.[27] The Blues were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs by theMinnesota North Stars.[28]
Stevens' time with the Blues would only last one season. In the offseason following the1990–91 NHL season, the Blues signedBrendan Shanahan from the New Jersey Devils,[16] who, like Stevens the year before, was a restricted free agent, entitling the Devils to compensation. As the Blues still owed first-round picks to the Capitals (now five instead of two, as the 1991 pick given up ended up being the 21st pick), other compensation had to be negotiated, and the Blues and Devils could not agree on what the compensation was; the Blues offered goalieCurtis Joseph, forwardRod Brind'Amour, and two draft picks, but the Devils only wanted Stevens.[16] The case went to arbitration, and arbitrator Edward Houston awarded Stevens to the Devils as compensation on September 3, 1991, with cited news reports the next day first appearing on September 4, 1991.[3][29]
Initially, Stevens refused to report to the Devils for training camp, and would not report until September 26, 1991, 22 days after the arbitration ruling. The Devils were already worried after captainKirk Muller walked out of camp.[30] Stevens and his wife had made plans to settle inSt. Louis, and he wanted to end his career with the Blues.[29][30] In addition, he was concerned about the apparent lack of unity in the organization, citing Muller's walkout as proof.[29] Several Devils players were upset over the feeling that Stevens was being forced upon the team; some players, includingKen Daneyko, wanted more money, while other players wanted general managerLou Lamoriello to trade Stevens.[30] He would eventually report to the Devils three weeks later.[31]
Stevens finished his first season in New Jersey fifth on the team in scoring,[32] first among defencemen and good enough for a spot on the second All-Star team.[6] He earned a spot on the All-Star roster for the second consecutive season and would miss only one All-Star game for the remainder of his career as a Devil.[27] The Devils would be taken out of the playoffs by theirrival, the Rangers, in seven games.[32] In the off-season, Stevens replacedBruce Driver as team captain, a title he held until his retirement.[33]
Although he would miss part of thefollowing season with aconcussion,[3] his 12 goals and 45 assists still led all Devils defencemen in scoring,[34] The Devils were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs again, losing to thePittsburgh Penguins in five games.[34] Stevens stepped up his offensive game in1993–94. He posted 18 goals and 60 assists, good enough for the team lead and a career-high in points.[18][33] He won theNHL Plus-Minus Award, finishing with a +53; onlyVladimir Konstantinov has led the league with a higher plus/minus rating since Stevens' win.[3] The Devils made it to theConference finals against the Rangers, where they fell in double overtime of Game 7.[35] Stevens finished as a runner-up to Ray Bourque for the Norris Trophy; the four-vote difference was the closest in Norris Trophy voting history.[3]
After the 1993–94 season, Stevens was a potential free agent. Officials from the St. Louis Blues discussed a return to the team with him, and persuaded him to sign an offer sheet worth $17 million over four years on July 4, 1994.[36] Five days later, the Devils matched the offer, and thus Stevens remained in New Jersey. However, the Devils later found out Stevens had heard from St. Louis management before the free agency period began, which was illegal under NHL policy. After a five-year investigation, the league fined the Blues $1.5 million and awarded the Devils two of St. Louis' first-round draft picks.[3][36] Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello felt the punishment was not enough; he wanted five first-round draft picks plus damages. Despite the investigation, there was no evidence Stevens was aware of any wrongdoing.[36]
After the1994–95 season was delayed due to anowners' lockout, the Devils were off to a slow start, winning only 9 of their first 24 games.[37] Despite the reduced schedule, Stevens managed 2 goals and 20 assists, once again leading defencemen in scoring.[38] The Devils finished fifth in the conference, and advanced to theStanley Cup Finals, where they swept the heavily favouredDetroit Red Wings to win the franchise's first championship.[37] Stevens' reputation as a hard hitter was reinforced in Game 2, where he leveledVyacheslav Kozlov with a body check that temporarily knocked him out of the game.[39][40] It was later determined that Kozlov suffered a concussion.[41] Stevens then turned to Wings forward and former Washington teammateDino Ciccarelli, who was upset about the check, and said, "You're next!"[42]
The Devils expected to defend their Stanley Cup titlethe following season. However, they became the first team in 26 years to miss the playoffs following a championship.[43] Stevens voiced the team's disappointment, saying, "After winning the Cup, you expect to definitely be in the playoffs the next year ... Maybe it was just a wakeup call to get back on track."[44]
Stevens started the1996–97 season with a one-game suspension due to high-stickingpenalty againstIgor Larionov, which drew blood.[3] However, the team returned to a solid style of play and finished the season atop theAtlantic Division, though they would be eliminated in the playoffs once again by the Hudson River rival New York Rangers.[45] Stevens finished second on the team among defencemen in scoring behindScott Niedermayer.[46]
For the most part, it seems to go with the guy who's got a lot of points... I don't think about it as much as I used to. I've been asked to play a certain role here, which doesn't help in that area. But I feel that gives the team a chance to win every night. That's the satisfaction I get.
Stevens' leadership continued into thenext season. He signed a contract extension with the Devils, stating at the time that he wanted to finish his career with the team.[48] Stevens was especially important to the Devils' defensive corps, as longtime Devil Ken Daneyko was undergoing rehabilitation foralcoholism.[48] However, he suffered ahip pointer injury against theTampa Bay Lightning and missed several games.[3] Stevens once again had a good defensive season, although his lack of scoring kept him out of consideration for the Norris Trophy.[47] The Devils finished as the top seed in theEastern Conference but were eliminated in the first round by theOttawa Senators.[49]
The Devils made several changes before the1998–99 season, including the hiring ofRobbie Ftorek as head coach to replaceJacques Lemaire.[50] The team continued its focus on defence, as the solid corps of Stevens, Daneyko and Niedermayer finished with plus-minuses of +29, +27 and +26 respectively. Unfortunately, the team was once again eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, this time by the Pittsburgh Penguins.[50]
The1999–2000 Devils focused more on offense, which was reinforced by their 251 goals scored, good enough for second in the league.[51] With four players scoring over 50 points, including rookieScott Gomez's team-leading 51 assists, Stevens' 29 points were only good enough for tenth on the team and third among defencemen, behind Niedermayer andBrian Rafalski.[52] Stevens also set an NHL record after becoming the first player to play in 600 games with two teams.[3] After finishing the season in fourth place in the conference, the Devils swept theFlorida Panthers and defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs in six games.[53]
The Devils then met their bitter rivals, the Philadelphia Flyers, in the Eastern Conference finals. After getting behind in the series three games to one, the Devils managed to win games five and six, setting the stage for game seven in Philadelphia.[53] During the first period, Flyers star centreEric Lindros was skating alone through the neutral zone with his head down, when Stevens hit him with a shoulder knocking him unconscious and giving him another concussion.[54] It was only Lindros' second game since returning from a concussion suffered in March against the Boston Bruins. Stevens had previously taken Flyers centreDaymond Langkow out with a concussion after Game 2.[55]
The Devils completed the comeback against the Flyers with a 2–1 victory and faced off against the defending Stanley Cup championDallas Stars in the Stanley Cup Finals. Stevens and Rafalski were tasked with the responsibility of shutting down Dallas' scoring line ofMike Modano,Brett Hull andJoe Nieuwendyk.[56] Stevens scored the game-winner in the first game of the seriesen route to a 7–3 Devils victory; the goal was his third of the playoffs.[57] The Devils went on to win the Finals in six games after Game 5 went to three overtimes and Game 6 was decided in double overtime. Stevens earned an assist onJason Arnott's Cup-winning goal, and he won theConn Smythe Trophy for his leadership role on the team.[53]
During the2000–01 NHL season, led byPatrik Eliáš' franchise record of 96 points andAlexander Mogilny's team-leading 43 goals, the team finished first in the conference.[58] After defeatingCarolina, Toronto and Pittsburgh in the playoffs, the Devils once again made the Finals, this time against theColorado Avalanche. However, despite being up three games to two, the Devils could not finish off the Avalanche and lost the series in seven games.[58] Stevens finished third in the voting for the Norris Trophy.[3]
The next season, Stevens finished with the lowest scoring total in his career,[59] though he did become the youngest player ever to play in 1,500 games.[3] The Devils fell in the first round of the playoffs to the Hurricanes, who went on to lose to Detroit in the Stanley Cup finals.[60]
Stevens and the Devils once again had success in2002–03, finishing first in the division.[61] In addition, he was named as captain of the Eastern Conference All-Star team for the first time,[62] and finished the season with the fewest penalty minutes over a full season in his career.[59] The Devils played well in the playoffs, eliminating Boston, Tampa Bay and Ottawa to face theMighty Ducks of Anaheim in the Finals.[61] Stevens and the Devils had a minor scare in Game 3 of the semi-finals against Tampa Bay when aslapshot fromPavel Kubina hit the side of his head and forced him to leave the game. Although there was uncertainty about whether he would return for Game 4, Stevens returned and did not miss a game throughout the remainder of the playoffs.[42] In Game 2 of the Finals, he set the record for most playoff games by a defenceman, breaking the record by his former coach, Larry Robinson.[63] Stevens added to his list of playoff hits when he blindside hit Mighty Ducks forwardPaul Kariya to the head in Game 6.[64] However, Kariya came back shortly thereafter and led the Ducks to a victory, forcing a Game 7.[61] The Devils kept the Ducks scoreless in Game 7, 3–0, to win their third Stanley Cup in nine years. Stevens' appearance in Game 7 tiedPatrick Roy's record for appearances in Game 7s with 13.[65] Despite the play of Stevens,Martin Brodeur,Jamie Langenbrunner andJeff Friesen, the Conn Smythe Trophy went to Ducks goaltenderJean-Sébastien Giguère. Some speculated that there were too many worthy Devils candidates for the trophy, resulting in a split vote among sportswriters.[66]
The2003–04 NHL season would be the last for Stevens. Before ending the season, he surpassed former teammate Larry Murphy as the NHL's all-time leader in games played by a defenceman when he appeared in his 1,616th game in November.[3] He missed several games in January with the flu, and while he was out, he was diagnosed withpost-concussion syndrome (which would eventually coerce him into retirement). Despite missing the second half of the season, he was still voted in as a starter for the Eastern Conference All-Star team.[3] Scott Niedermayer filled in as captain in Stevens' absence, but the loss of Stevens (as well as Daneyko, who had retired before the season) was too much of a loss for the Devils' defence, and they fell to the Flyers in the first round of the playoffs.[67] In the off-season, Stevens recovered and continued to work out and expected to return to the Devils for the2004–05 NHL season.[68] However, thelockout canceled the entire season and Stevens announced his retirement on September 6, 2005, after 1,635 NHL games, fourth at the time (and now eleventh) all-time in games played, the leader in games played by a defenceman (since passed byChris Chelios andZdeno Chára), and 14th all-time in career penalty minutes.[3]
On July 17, 2012, the Devils announced Stevens would return to the team as an assistant coach.[69] After two seasons of failing to make the playoffs, Stevens stepped down as assistant coach in September 2014. His role as the assistant coach for the defenseman was filled by another former Devil,Tommy Albelin. However, three months later, Stevens returned to the Devils along with former assistant coach Adam Oates, relievingPeter DeBoer of his coaching duties. In a unique move, both Stevens and Oates were named as "interim" co-head coaches, with Stevens focusing on defencemen and Oates on forwards.[70]
On June 7, 2016, theMinnesota Wild hired Stevens as an assistant to head coachBruce Boudreau.[71] Less than a year later, on May 30, 2017, Stevens resigned to "spend more time with his family".[72]
In addition to his NHL career, Stevens represented Canada in several international ice hockey competitions. He attended summer camp withTeam Canada before the1983 World Junior Championships, but because of his commitment to the Capitals, he was unable to join the team.[3] His first experience withthe senior team was at the1983 World Ice Hockey Championships, where he won a bronze medal.[6] The following year he made the Canadian team for the1984 Canada Cup, but he did not play.[3] During the1985 World Ice Hockey Championships, he scored a goal and added two assists as Canada finished with a silver medal.[3][6] He played only two games during the1987 tournament; Canada finished in fourth place.[3][6]Two years later, he scored two goals as Canada once again won the silver medal. During the tournament, he suffered a serious cut when Börje Salming's skate sliced his face; he would receive 88 stitches for the wound.[3][6] He finally won international gold with Canada during the1991 Canada Cup.[3][6] Five years later, he played in the1996 World Cup of Hockey, the successor to theCanada Cup. Finishing with two assists, Stevens won the silver medal; Canada finished in second place after giving up four goals in the final four minutes of the championship game against theAmerican team.[73]
NHL players were first allowed to participate in theOlympic ice hockey tournament at the1998 games. Stevens was selected to join Team Canada but finished without a point for the only time in his international career. Canada would finish fourth after losing their semi-final match-up against theCzech Republic in ashootout.[3][6][74] Stevens would be part of Canada's orientation camp for the2002 Games,[75] but he would not make the final roster.[76]
Stevens left a controversial lasting legacy on the NHL. Stevens was the longest reigning captain in Devils history.[78] Later on in his career, he mentored the younger Devils defencemen likeColin White and Brian Rafalski, who was Stevens' defensive linemate.[79] Long-time teammate Scott Niedermayer said Stevens was "not the most vocal guy around", but he would talk to players when it was necessary.[79] Stevens was honoured by the Devils by becoming the first player in team history to have his number retired by the team–his number 4 was raised to the rafters on February 3, 2006.[77] Additionally, the Kitchener Rangers have retired number 3 for Stevens.
Stevens was also remembered as one of the hardest hitters in NHL history. He has been accused by some of deliberately attempting to injure opponents, while others counter that his hits were legal for the era in which he played and only appeared malicious due to their ferocity. In any event, he was among the most feared defensemen of his day. Among the victims of Stevens' body checks were Vyacheslav Kozlov, Eric Lindros, Paul Kariya,Shane Willis andRon Francis, the last of whom was inducted with Stevens into theHockey Hall of Fame in 2007. One of the more notable cases was young Shane Willis, who endured a concussion and was knocked out for the rest of the series.[80]Some players have accused Stevens of playing cheap and intentionally trying to physically injure players permanently. After his check on Shane Willis, Carolina Hurricanes goaltenderArtūrs Irbe said Stevens was "trying to kill [Willis] or put him out of the playoffs". Stevens responded:[80]
What kind of respect do I get? ... Just because I'm a physical player, it's O.K. to come at me and do what you want? Hey, it's a hockey game. It's not figure skating. You know what? I can take a hit and I can give a hit. I don't care who it is. No one gets a free ride out there. I don't get a free ride, and no one gets a free ride from me.
On the other hand, Willis insisted that the hit was clean, and Kozlov said he was a clean player.[81][8] He was often credited with changing the momentum of a game not with a goal, but with a hard check,[82] earning him the nickname "Captain Crunch".[83] He was named the fifth-most fearsome player in NHL history by theSporting News in 2001 and was voted the toughest player in the NHL by the voters.[84] Former NHL defencemenDion Phaneuf andFrançois Beauchemin are often compared to Stevens, and Phaneuf says he has idolized Stevens' style of play.[85]
Stevens met his wife Donna while he was playing junior hockey with Kitchener.[4] The couple have three children; Kaitlin, Ryan, and Kara and reside in the town ofFar Hills, New Jersey.[86] He is a fan of the outdoors, and spent his summers away from hockey atLake Catchacoma.[4] He also enjoys duck hunting in his spare time and is a fan of theThree Stooges. After theSeptember 11, 2001 attacks, he started a program called Scott's Tots for the families of the victims.[87] Stevens joined the NHL Network as a commentator in December 2017.[88]
In May 1990, while playing for the Capitals, Stevens was found guilty of participating in the rape of a 17-year-old girl outside a bar, alongside teammatesDino Ciccarelli,Geoff Courtnall, andNeil Sheehy.[89]
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 1980–81 | Kitchener Ranger B's | MWJHL | 39 | 7 | 33 | 40 | 82 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1980–81 | Kitchener Rangers | OHL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1981–82 | Kitchener Rangers | OHL | 68 | 6 | 36 | 42 | 158 | 15 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 21 | ||
| 1982–83 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 77 | 9 | 16 | 25 | 195 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 26 | ||
| 1983–84 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 78 | 13 | 32 | 45 | 201 | 8 | 1 | 8 | 9 | 21 | ||
| 1984–85 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 80 | 21 | 44 | 65 | 221 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 11 | ||
| 1985–86 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 73 | 15 | 38 | 53 | 165 | 9 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 12 | ||
| 1986–87 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 77 | 10 | 51 | 61 | 283 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 19 | ||
| 1987–88 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 80 | 12 | 60 | 72 | 184 | 13 | 1 | 11 | 12 | 46 | ||
| 1988–89 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 80 | 7 | 61 | 68 | 225 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 11 | ||
| 1989–90 | Washington Capitals | NHL | 56 | 11 | 29 | 40 | 154 | 15 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 25 | ||
| 1990–91 | St. Louis Blues | NHL | 78 | 5 | 44 | 49 | 150 | 13 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 36 | ||
| 1991–92 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 68 | 17 | 42 | 59 | 124 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 29 | ||
| 1992–93 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 81 | 12 | 45 | 57 | 120 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 10 | ||
| 1993–94 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 83 | 18 | 60 | 78 | 112 | 20 | 2 | 9 | 11 | 42 | ||
| 1994–95 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 48 | 2 | 20 | 22 | 56 | 20 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 24 | ||
| 1995–96 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 82 | 5 | 23 | 28 | 100 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| 1996–97 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 79 | 5 | 19 | 24 | 70 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 2 | ||
| 1997–98 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 80 | 4 | 22 | 26 | 80 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 | ||
| 1998–99 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 75 | 5 | 22 | 27 | 64 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 10 | ||
| 1999–2000 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 78 | 8 | 21 | 29 | 103 | 23 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 6 | ||
| 2000–01 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 81 | 9 | 22 | 31 | 71 | 25 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 37 | ||
| 2001–02 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 82 | 1 | 16 | 17 | 44 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | ||
| 2002–03 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 81 | 4 | 16 | 20 | 41 | 24 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 14 | ||
| 2003–04 | New Jersey Devils | NHL | 38 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 22 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NHL totals | 1,635 | 196 | 712 | 908 | 2,785 | 233 | 26 | 92 | 118 | 378 | ||||
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Canada | WC |  | 10 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 8 | |
| 1985 | Canada | WC |  | 8 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | |
| 1987 | Canada | WC | 4th | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 1989 | Canada | WC | | 7 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 2 | |
| 1991 | Canada | CC |  | 8 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | |
| 1996 | Canada | WCH | | 8 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | |
| 1998 | Canada | OG | 4th | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| Senior totals | 49 | 4 | 8 | 12 | 28 | ||||
| Year | Location | G | A | P | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Calgary | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1989 | Edmonton | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1991 | Chicago | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1992 | Philadelphia | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 1993 | Montreal | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | |
| 1994 | New York City | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | |
| 1996 | Boston | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1997 | San Jose | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | |
| 1998 | Vancouver | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1999 | Tampa Bay | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2000 | Toronto | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2001 | Colorado | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2003 | Florida | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| All-Star totals | 2 | 8 | 10 | 0 | ||
