I met him as well, he came into my work. He was friends with the CEO and had lunch in the board room with us all and let us try on his cup ring lol.. Was a blast to hear his stories and man those rings are heavy!!! lol!
Legend all the way. He did it all - put up points, +\- was great, defensive game second to none, physical game was a beast. In my opinion one of the best all round D men to play the game. Ever.
@@markwilmot8707 Wrong!!!!! Jack Hughes has 99. And he is 12th only because he played so much longer than all the others on the list. Also he was a stay at home defenseman for the second half of his career, barely putting up more than 40 points at best in a season...
@@v4v819 Not at all wrong, I was speaking about defenseman only. There are over 20 player who surpassed 78 points in a season on the Devils. Yes he did play a lot of games but so did other in that list. You look at a guy like Nic Lidstrom who was an exceptional two way talent who constantly put up points, yet he only played about a season less but not a ridiculous amount more points. Stevens changed his game to become a more physical and defensive player because that's what the team needed at the time.
@@tfm362 maybe the best active hitter but not even remotely close to Stevens on the all time list. Stevens has an ESPN Top 10 greatest hits dedicated solely to him. Wilson has hardly any memorable hits that weren’t dirty and earning of suspensions
He's definitely a legend. When I was a kid I was lucky enough to see him play junior for the Kitchener Rangers. They had some great defensemen develop in that organization. Stevens, Coffey, MacInnis to name the most famous ones. Hockey was wilder back then than it is now. The hits Stevens made weren't out of bounds at the time. As brutal as they were, it was just how the game was played.
People these days who criticize Stevens either have no clue about 80's and 90's hockey or they have completely forgotten how the game was played back then. Everyone acts as if Stevens was this one-off predator floating around like a one man wrecking machine, ending careers left and right and the league didn't do a thing about it. Everyone seems to forget about the unhinged menaces that played back then. Defenseman such as Bryan Marchment, Derian Hatcher, Darius Kasparitis, Dave Manson, Vlad Konstantinov, and even lunatics like Ulf Samuelsson. All of those guys hurt many players over the years with some of the nastiest, dirtyest hits you could imagine. I could go on and on. Not even mentioning the power forwards who could, and sometimes did, literally put you through the glass, like Lindros, Neely, Shanahan, or even the tough guys like Probert and the list goes on and on. Stevens played in the toughest era and did it extremely well. Absolute legend.
Tie Domi ragged dolled him... Supposedly Scott cried in his coach's arms the rest of the night- according to Steven's autobiography... The funny part is that Domi is 5 foot nothing at best... Some tough guy, indeed- Scott was a bully and if you took it to him- as this video proved- then he had nothing and you could get him on the ice easy...
@@v4v819 Why would one of a teams best players go off the ice for five minutes fighting a scrub like Domi? The Leafs were better when Domi was on the bench. The Devils won cups by being well coached and disciplined. 1967 Dolt.
@@v4v819 Domi was about 5'8" and built like a brick. His head was huge and we call guys like him cement head for a reason. Stevens wasn't a fighter, in fact, he sucked at it. But open ice hits. It would have been like running into an oak tree. At the end of the argument, who won 3 cups and who won zero?
whenever we got hit like kariya did our coach use to call us cheerleaders because we were watching the game instead of playing it. If you got wrecked it was your fault
A lot of d-men in that day could end you if you skated sideways across the blue line with your head down. A lot of guys in any era could do it. Difference with Stevens is that he would do it, where some might miss “a bit”. The price for that is people always questioning whether he was dirty. He wasn’t. Scott Stevens was tough. He was a balls-out fearless leader. A legend…..and a multiple cup winner. And I hated those Devils teams for crushing my team, repeatedly and harshly.
The modern NHL fan is way too soft for Scott Steven's. They want to like retroactively go back and give him suspensions and fines for hits he made within the rules. I loved watching Steven's play it was like a circling shark. And I also hated the devils and the neutral zone trap but that doesn't mean Steven's ain't a beast
People say Stevens was a dirty player...in reality, all of his hits were legal at the time. He went right up to the edge, but did not cross it. He's a legend. Without a doubt.
Legal or not, they were dirty hits. All of his hits were blind side hits, at the blue line, in front of his D men. He purposely targeted guys as they were cutting to the middle and he knew they couldn't see him. He did that on purpose to injure guys. It's not even debatable. He ended players careers and was proud of it. That's not a guy people should point to as a guy that was good for the league. He was a coward.
@@rogerzotti1 Lindros even admitted it was a clean hit. @darksaga80 They were clean hits for the time. They were entering his side of the ice, with the puck. Perfectly clean. They just did not see him because they had their heads down. And coward? Ha...He fought anyone in the league...Even Tie Domi only took a cheap shot on Niedermeyer because Stevens was in the box.
I'd wear an inflatable fat suit to help cushion the blow. The problem with running into an oak tree is the inflatable will burst and your momentum will still take you abruptly into the tree.
Not a Jersey fan, but have always been a Stevens fan. We called him the Sheriff back in the day, because on top of all that's mentioned in the video, he was that old school type of Captain. He protected his guys.
@@louiehunter6490 Ya man, it really caused allot of head injuries over the last 20-25 years. They had to make a bunch of rule changes to deal with it, but that armour is devastating.
The New Jersey Devils had such a stout defence. I remember reading in the Hockey News of the number of shots on Martin Brodeur in particular games--under twenty sometimes.
stevens, niedermayer, and brodeur were a defensive trio that few ever beat. scott definitely had bad intentions on the ice, but he was _hardly_ the only guy at that time doing that. He wasn't big, especially compared to most big hitters, but he had insane timing. It was like if you looked down for more than 2 seconds he just materialized somewhere out of view and ran you over. It's like the concept in fighting, 'its the one you don't see coming that knocks you out', and he always seemed to catch people off guard.
As a lifelong Devil's fan I respect what he did for us and his power. That Kariya hit was so late and unnecessary. He ended that man's career. He doesn't even remember the goal 😢
Stevens was a great player. But most of those hits would be suspension-worthy now. Watch how late that hit on Kariya was, for example. He would also target the head quite often.
I don't if we are talking about the same hit but raising his elbow after the initial body contact was and is still legal part of that hit. If he led with his elbow - which he clearly didn't - Lindros' head would have end being separated from his body. Stevens never led with his elbow first into the hit. He was hard but honest player who took the art of hitting to the next level
@@jdkrxw why would you ask Paul Kariya.. thats like asking Connor McGregor if he won a round against Khabib after getting mauled for 4 rounds... Fact is, the Kariya hit was 100% legal. Any Hockey analyst from that time agreed. Kariya simply did everything wrong on that play. He intercepted the pass, skated in the neutral zone, then passed the puck, while turning into the middle of the ice and admiring his pass and not paying attention. On top of this, he was crouched and skating while leading with his head. It didnt matter who hit Kariya or how, Kariya was gonna take a major hit on that play, he was just in terrible position.
@mrhero1339 Stevens already had post concussion at this time... That's why he retired after this.. Stevens had concussion issues long before this. Many players did. That was just 90s hockey.
I went the cap centre a lot in the early eighties to see caps ..bit of long drive from Alexandria along beltway ..when he was 18 he was grown man .. I don’t any rookie was as grown up at 18 physically more than Scott Steven’s ..was there when he destroyed the flyers with body and fists at 18 ..
Best defensive defenseman of my lifetime in my opinion. (I’m 50). Couple that with (again my opinion) the best goalie of all time, and that’s your answer to the ubiquitous question of how were the devils so damn good. I love all opinions, but I would love a “Stevens “ award for the best defensive defenseman each year.
What the heck was Washington thinking by not signing Stevens? The 5 picks they got from the Blues were marginal. I haven’t seen the whole chart TBH. But this guy was an absolute weapon and champion. Legend!
Hated him, bit respected him. The 90's were brutal, could put him at the top of that era. I don't think I've seen other players that could dominate the playoffs like he did, he just shut down the opposition, no matter who they were. Not only was he a hitter, but he was always in position. Some shots were questionable, but he wasn't the only one guilty of them.
Scott Stevens was the best body checker in the 80's with the Washington Capitals and then one year with the St. Louis Blues in 1990/91. He's best known for playing with the New Jersey Devils during the 1992 season, and so on until 2004. If you crossed the blue line with your head down then Scott would just hammer you. Eric Lindros, Ron Francis, Vyacheslav Kozlov & Paul Kariya were all hit extremely hard. Some fans referred to Stevens as a "Head Hunter" but he wasn't. He was just doing his job. If you were carrying the puck into the Devils zone non-chalantly, it could result in a huge mistake. He wasn't a goon. Scott actually registered over 900+ points for his career.
@@mondoseguendo6113 BS, he tucked in his elbows and rocked you with his shoulder. Guys who chicken wing, like Trouba, are awkward as hell because it is a desperate move. Stevens was calculated and vicious as hell.
There was a time D-men were taught to stand up at the blue line, Stevens owned that. Now, in today's non contact beer league rules, D-men sign autographs as you skate by and crash the net, injuring the goalie. Marty Brodeur never had that problem.
@DonKnight-qi4tu Yes, I agree. Some defensemen are not thinking properly and push the opposing player into their own goalie and risk injuries. Also, Martin Brodeur was healthy for a large majority of his career with Captain Scott Stevens ready to stick up for his goaltender.
@@DonKnight-qi4tu I grew up playing against juniors who played defense like Stevens. I can tell you a guy who plants his feet perfectly into the ice, positions his body at the correct angle, and then literally stops your forward momentum is like running into an oak tree. Studs like Stevens come along once in a generation and he ended guys careers because that was his job. I loved watching Kariya, but you play with your head down or admire your pretty pass, well, shit's gonna happen.
I watched Stevens play during his career (I am philadelphia fan). My overall impression of him is he was dirty player. He reminded me of person who would sucker punch someone and then label himself as tough. I followed all four sports closely and will admit true greatness when I see it. For example, Larry Bird was a rare athlete who didn't look athletic but was so good in so many areas and amazingly lethal late in games with big shots. I watched him bury my Sixers on regular basis. True greatness. But for Scott Stevens, he was just a big sized defensemen who took joy in trying to injury unsuspecting players who had their head down for a moment. In his interviews, I don't sense any remorse or even a suggestion that maybe there was a better way to go about being top defenseman that was based on true skills and some level of integrity.
Ever heard of the Broad Street Bullies and the Philly flu? Stevens was a wrecking ball and deserves to be in the HOF. Not a Devils fan, boring sleeper hockey. The only excitement on that team was #4.
Great pick on this gem. Love scotty! Captain Crunch! He was someone as a devils fan that you could count on. As a kid who played defense in the 2000's, he was someone to look at and model play after. don't give the other team too much space to work. keep them on their feed. make those big turnovers come at the most crucial moments. Play for the name on the front, not the name on the back.
Was he vicious or was he clever ? Most of his hits were legal despite surprising his opponents while they were coming head down unaware ... Quite tough but still legal, isn't it ?
He was a good hard hitting talented defenseman. The Flyers offered St. Louis a deal and it was turned down. The guy who does the narrating never played that is obvoios.
6:50 ah come on now. This isn’t about his elbows. And it’s kind of a scarecrow to talk about legality. Vs today or his time? Bc there’s a reason the times changed. I’m not going to rewrite history, but Stevens was a predator. My issue was he was famous for hitting guys at times when they were slashing to beat their defensive responsibility. Ironically his gifted timing which made him actually a pretty good player of the hockey made him diabolical when it came to hitting. There were FAR dirtier players. And to be honest even by today he was still mostly legal. But notice how the 3 hits we think of their heads are down. NOT bc they are blindly skating. That’s a misnomer his defenders use. They were lollygagging through a zone aloof and without fear. Not entirely true. They were beating their man before he appeared from a blind spot to at the most opportune moment as they take their biggest step around their man. I wouldn’t call that filthy. But I wouldn’t call that sporting either. He knew exactly what he was doing. It’s just that wasn’t crazy for his time. I don’t blame the guy for that. And to be fair, he didn’t overstep egregiously imo. But he neither had zero mercy. He was just much better at timing his shots than others.
Watched his career saw him play at Madison Square garden. Tough sob. Dont repeat dont carry the puck with your head down he woulld knock you into next week
An excellent defensive defenseman who also could put up some points, Stevens has to be regarded as the deadliest bodychecker of all time. He could devastate opponents with open-ice shoulder hits or upend them with huge hip checks. Some hits were dirty, but the majority weren’t. At times, he’d put an elbow in there or sometimes deliver a LATE hit on an unsuspecting opponent. Stevens was very opportunistic. Strangely, his tremendous physical strength and extraordinary athleticism didn’t translate into fighting all that well. Don’t get me wrong, Stevens was tough and could take care of himself, but didn’t dominate fights all that often. Stevens fought a good deal in his younger days with Washington and St Louis, at times answering the bell with the baddest heavyweights of the era, like Dave Brown and Bob Probert. Stevens didn’t win any of those scraps, but he hung in there. Later, with New Jersey, he fought a lot less. Part of that was Stevens had developed into too important a player to be in the penalty box too much. Another reason is that Stevens had become more of an agitator who would play mind games with his opponents. He’d throw vicious hits, instigate trouble, then back off, letting the officials intervene or his teammates do the fighting for him. When he DID fight, he picked his spots a lot more, only taking on true tough guys when forced into it. This facet of Stevens is less than admirable, but there’s no doubting his effectiveness as a defender and thorn in opponents’ sides.
Of course you had to fear him because he would hit you in the head if you had the puck or not. He didn't need to target the head or hit guys late but he did it anyway. He had great NHL skills with a Matt Cooke mentality. A player like that is tough to play against. Especially when you could get away with so much back then with the lack of rules based on player safety and fewer refs on the ice. (for most of his career) I have no problem with a hard nosed game by any stretch, but have some respect for the other players. He played the hard nosed game, but had no respect for the other players.
Stevens was on steroids. All the sudden in his mid-thirties he gained 25 lb of muscle not normal. When he went to the Olympics in 98 he had to go off of them so he could pass his test and he didn't have a single point the whole tournament and Canada finished fourth that year😂
I played hockey not in the majors obviously but in a pretty serious U9 house league back in the day. And let me tell you this from experience: No one is afraid of no one or nothing on the ice, i'd take on the players mothers- and ref's too- if it kept me on the team... Man if my coach would have put me in... We would have gone all the way! I would have made state! i can smell the sweet suds of victory coming from my shoud have been Champaigne hot tub!
Mike Weaver on Patrick Sharpe was probably a harder hit. The hit was so hard it sounded like an NFL hit because you could hear the pop of the pads. Also everyone was relatively ok afterwards and no penalty was called on the play, just a good hard clean open ice check.
How feared was Scott Stevens? VERY FEARED. He could score too. Heck, even Rob Blake was less feared. He used to throw hip checks, but then I guess he decided to use his shoulder. The hit on Lindros, after seeing the replay for the umpteenth time, he used his whole upper arm, elbow included. I think that's a semi-legal hit. Also you forgot about, I think it was Dave Manson vs Scott Stevens at centre ice one time in... I think St. Louis.
That’s the way the game is played kids. That’s what it takes to win Stanley anything in life. The only reason fan’s don’t like him is because their teams coaches needed a cattle prod to get them off the bench to face him. Don’t act as if you didn’t want him on your squad.
He was a tough and mean s.o.a.b. I never liked him that much. Today half of those hits he did would be illegal. And look at his jaw, I would'nt be surprised he was on juice for a while.
He was one of if not the best open-ice hitters in the modern era of defencemen. His intensity is what won the Devils cups and he was a Rock! A lousy fighter though!
The game was different then. In my opinion, it was a better overall game than it is today. Stevens hits are considered to be dirty and definitely would be illegal today. They were clean hits in the tme period during which they occured. Cry about it all you want.
I’ve never seen that camera angle of the Kariya hit before, and damn does it ever cement my stance on that hit: Obviously it’s a shame that it more or less ended his career and screwed up his life but like, bro, this is the NHL and with Scott Stevens on the ice no less- WHY ARE YOU SKATING COMPLETELY OBLIVIOUS TO YOUR SURROUNDINGS, ADMIRING YOUR PASS?!?!?! Like what did he possibly think would happen?? Just like the Lindros hit, that was 100% clean and likely wouldn’t have even happened or would have been much less severe if they just *looked around* I don’t believe in victim blaming, but I do believe in responsibility for your actions.. I’m so sick of people looking back at these hits and painting Stevens as some kind of monster for, *checks notes* , playing the game and playing it damn well. There wasn’t even a penalty on that Kariya hit, yet people act like Stevens should be in jail because of it lmao Sure it was nasty, sure it was mean, but that was the NHL at the time- if players don’t like it they could go play in the European leagues like Lemieux did
Having finished the video I feel compelled to add that Stevens was absolutely a legend and I hate that people try to throw him in the same camp as dirty players and goons like Matt Cooke or even Messier
You can level a guy without hitting the head. Going in like that, you have no other purpose than to injure another player. That in itself is just cowardly.
@@KnutHelgeMidttun Okay but that’s just playoff hockey man, with every single hit you’re trying to hurt the other team.. As much as I hate Marchand, I have to respect him for saying the quiet part out loud this year after he got levelled and missed a couple games against FLA. And once again, if you’re out there completely oblivious and skating with your head down, or pass-watching paying no attention to anything/anyone else, you’re gonna get smoked and that’s nobody’s fault but your own.
@@XxCorvette1xXStevens was great but he had no respect. That's why people got hurt, and that's why he is a dirty player. The intent is supposed to be to knock someone off of the puck, not end their careers. He knew when players were most vulnerable and preyed on that. That's not what the game is about. He was both a bright spot and a stain on the game. Purposefully trying to end someone's livelihood is a bit cowardly and a lot disgraceful.
Ovi had been around at that time. He would have put Stevens on his punk azz or maybe in the hospital. And for every doe eyed fan boy saying "his hits were clean for the era he played in," let me say this. Elbowing and hits to the head were penalties looooong before this goofs mom lost her v card.
That was called an open ice hit. Keep your head up. This is not dirty. Now, in this league today, one I can't hardly stomach anymore... it is dirty. Absolute bullshit in my opinion. Keep your head up and grow a pair or go play badminton.
@@stevensmith780 Like Paul Kariya, Bob Bassen , Vikor Kozlov Most of the time the players were already engaged with another defender. He’s had some cowardly/dirty play over the years
No matter who the player was. If you had your head down your going to get hit hard. He ruined some players careers with clean hard hits. You will not find a player like Stevens today.
Moving forward players playing in this manner will not be allowed. Diminishes the game, taking more skilled players livelihood away. No one needs to see that.
I thought he was great even against my Red Wings when he hit Kossy he didn't know where he was that's fair it was for the cup but I seen him belt a kid and hurt him when his team was way ahead with only a couple of minutes left I lost respect for him you wouldn't see the Vladinater for the Wings hurt someone just because they could
Best checker and hitter the game has seen - Everybody hated to play him, but everybody would have loved to have him
I’ve met him a few times and he’s very nice off the ice.
I met him as well, he came into my work. He was friends with the CEO and had lunch in the board room with us all and let us try on his cup ring lol.. Was a blast to hear his stories and man those rings are heavy!!! lol!
Hes absolutely massive aswell
Legend all the way. He did it all - put up points, +\- was great, defensive game second to none, physical game was a beast. In my opinion one of the best all round D men to play the game. Ever.
He didn't put up much points once he got to the Devils...
He was an irresponsible rat.
@@v4v819 He put up 78 points as a Devil which is still a record for the franchise today. He is also 12th all time in points by a defenseman.
@@markwilmot8707 Wrong!!!!! Jack Hughes has 99. And he is 12th only because he played so much longer than all the others on the list. Also he was a stay at home defenseman for the second half of his career, barely putting up more than 40 points at best in a season...
@@v4v819 Not at all wrong, I was speaking about defenseman only. There are over 20 player who surpassed 78 points in a season on the Devils. Yes he did play a lot of games but so did other in that list. You look at a guy like Nic Lidstrom who was an exceptional two way talent who constantly put up points, yet he only played about a season less but not a ridiculous amount more points. Stevens changed his game to become a more physical and defensive player because that's what the team needed at the time.
Legend all the way.
Definitely
Love your content. Keep em coming
Greatest hitter of all time!
Tom Wilson is now.
@@tfm362 maybe the best active hitter but not even remotely close to Stevens on the all time list. Stevens has an ESPN Top 10 greatest hits dedicated solely to him. Wilson has hardly any memorable hits that weren’t dirty and earning of suspensions
Dustin Byfuglien is in that conversation as well
@@joepettibone Brooks Orpik.
He's definitely a legend. When I was a kid I was lucky enough to see him play junior for the Kitchener Rangers. They had some great defensemen develop in that organization. Stevens, Coffey, MacInnis to name the most famous ones. Hockey was wilder back then than it is now. The hits Stevens made weren't out of bounds at the time. As brutal as they were, it was just how the game was played.
My top D-Man on my dream team. He could do it all, and man, was he ever able to sway the momentum.
When Scott Stevens was born, players started to keep their head up.
People these days who criticize Stevens either have no clue about 80's and 90's hockey or they have completely forgotten how the game was played back then. Everyone acts as if Stevens was this one-off predator floating around like a one man wrecking machine, ending careers left and right and the league didn't do a thing about it.
Everyone seems to forget about the unhinged menaces that played back then. Defenseman such as Bryan Marchment, Derian Hatcher, Darius Kasparitis, Dave Manson, Vlad Konstantinov, and even lunatics like Ulf Samuelsson. All of those guys hurt many players over the years with some of the nastiest, dirtyest hits you could imagine. I could go on and on. Not even mentioning the power forwards who could, and sometimes did, literally put you through the glass, like Lindros, Neely, Shanahan, or even the tough guys like Probert and the list goes on and on.
Stevens played in the toughest era and did it extremely well. Absolute legend.
Dude was a beast and so good. Hardest and best hitter the nhl has ever had in the league. There is a reason coaches say KEEP YOUR FN HEAD UP
Tie Domi ragged dolled him... Supposedly Scott cried in his coach's arms the rest of the night- according to Steven's autobiography... The funny part is that Domi is 5 foot nothing at best... Some tough guy, indeed- Scott was a bully and if you took it to him- as this video proved- then he had nothing and you could get him on the ice easy...
@@v4v819 Why would one of a teams best players go off the ice for five minutes fighting a scrub like Domi? The Leafs were better when Domi was on the bench. The Devils won cups by being well coached and disciplined. 1967 Dolt.
@@v4v819 Domi was about 5'8" and built like a brick. His head was huge and we call guys like him cement head for a reason.
Stevens wasn't a fighter, in fact, he sucked at it. But open ice hits. It would have been like running into an oak tree.
At the end of the argument, who won 3 cups and who won zero?
As a Red Wings fan I've been following hockey for 30 years I'd have to say I agree.
From Pee Wee to the pros every coach says it
whenever we got hit like kariya did our coach use to call us cheerleaders because we were watching the game instead of playing it. If you got wrecked it was your fault
A lot of d-men in that day could end you if you skated sideways across the blue line with your head down. A lot of guys in any era could do it. Difference with Stevens is that he would do it, where some might miss “a bit”. The price for that is people always questioning whether he was dirty. He wasn’t. Scott Stevens was tough. He was a balls-out fearless leader. A legend…..and a multiple cup winner.
And I hated those Devils teams for crushing my team, repeatedly and harshly.
The modern NHL fan is way too soft for Scott Steven's. They want to like retroactively go back and give him suspensions and fines for hits he made within the rules. I loved watching Steven's play it was like a circling shark. And I also hated the devils and the neutral zone trap but that doesn't mean Steven's ain't a beast
stevens gonna get ya
People say Stevens was a dirty player...in reality, all of his hits were legal at the time. He went right up to the edge, but did not cross it. He's a legend. Without a doubt.
Legal or not, they were dirty hits. All of his hits were blind side hits, at the blue line, in front of his D men. He purposely targeted guys as they were cutting to the middle and he knew they couldn't see him.
He did that on purpose to injure guys. It's not even debatable. He ended players careers and was proud of it.
That's not a guy people should point to as a guy that was good for the league.
He was a coward.
check the hit on Lindros ...
@@rogerzotti1 Lindros even admitted it was a clean hit.
@darksaga80 They were clean hits for the time. They were entering his side of the ice, with the puck. Perfectly clean. They just did not see him because they had their heads down. And coward? Ha...He fought anyone in the league...Even Tie Domi only took a cheap shot on Niedermeyer because Stevens was in the box.
@@jamesvalenti9288 Hits on head can't be cleans. Stevens and other player could have hit the upper body, but not the head.
WTF have you been smoking. He was the dirtiest POS to ever play.
I'd be wearing a motorcycle helmet padded with kevlar if I was playing during his era 100%
You still do in large crowds.
I'd wear an inflatable fat suit to help cushion the blow. The problem with running into an oak tree is the inflatable will burst and your momentum will still take you abruptly into the tree.
Not a Jersey fan, but have always been a Stevens fan. We called him the Sheriff back in the day, because on top of all that's mentioned in the video, he was that old school type of Captain. He protected his guys.
Legend without a doubt
He did it without wearing hardened body armour as well. He did all that wearing soft shoulder pads…
It's hockey, everyone does...
@@v4v819 what are you talking about? lol.
The hardened pads hurt more. Making solid bads creates the problems. Happened in football too
@@louiehunter6490 Ya man, it really caused allot of head injuries over the last 20-25 years. They had to make a bunch of rule changes to deal with it, but that armour is devastating.
Legend!
The New Jersey Devils had such a stout defence. I remember reading in the Hockey News of the number of shots on Martin Brodeur in particular games--under twenty sometimes.
legend
stevens, niedermayer, and brodeur were a defensive trio that few ever beat.
scott definitely had bad intentions on the ice, but he was _hardly_ the only guy at that time doing that. He wasn't big, especially compared to most big hitters, but he had insane timing. It was like if you looked down for more than 2 seconds he just materialized somewhere out of view and ran you over. It's like the concept in fighting, 'its the one you don't see coming that knocks you out', and he always seemed to catch people off guard.
As a lifelong Devil's fan I respect what he did for us and his power. That Kariya hit was so late and unnecessary. He ended that man's career. He doesn't even remember the goal 😢
Keep your head up if Stevens is on the ice loved his style
He was my favorite non Bruins player ever. Mean and Nasty . Did hit hit guys away from the puck yes , like everyone else he did.
GO BRUINS!
Certain aspects of the game, he's arguably goat.
Legend
Stevens was a great player. But most of those hits would be suspension-worthy now. Watch how late that hit on Kariya was, for example. He would also target the head quite often.
Him and Ray Bourque would be my top 2 pairing. And if one of them got injured than I'd place Lindstrom in there.
Summers must be brutal cold in Kitchener if you can train at the outdoor rink after work.
I think he was a bit of both. Thunderous hitter, but once in a while they were dirty. The hit on Lindros for example, he clearly had his elbow up
I don't if we are talking about the same hit but raising his elbow after the initial body contact was and is still legal part of that hit.
If he led with his elbow - which he clearly didn't - Lindros' head would have end being separated from his body.
Stevens never led with his elbow first into the hit. He was hard but honest player who took the art of hitting to the next level
Scott Stevens was a clean player. All his hits were clean. A true legend and all time great.
Ask Paul Karia about that.
@@jdkrxw why would you ask Paul Kariya.. thats like asking Connor McGregor if he won a round against Khabib after getting mauled for 4 rounds... Fact is, the Kariya hit was 100% legal. Any Hockey analyst from that time agreed. Kariya simply did everything wrong on that play. He intercepted the pass, skated in the neutral zone, then passed the puck, while turning into the middle of the ice and admiring his pass and not paying attention. On top of this, he was crouched and skating while leading with his head. It didnt matter who hit Kariya or how, Kariya was gonna take a major hit on that play, he was just in terrible position.
He got it back when he got post-cuncussion syndrome. Well earned.
@mrhero1339 Stevens already had post concussion at this time... That's why he retired after this.. Stevens had concussion issues long before this. Many players did. That was just 90s hockey.
He was a great defence player
I went the cap centre a lot in the early eighties to see caps ..bit of long drive from Alexandria along beltway ..when he was 18 he was grown man .. I don’t any rookie was as grown up at 18 physically more than Scott Steven’s ..was there when he destroyed the flyers with body and fists at 18 ..
Best defensive defenseman of my lifetime in my opinion. (I’m 50). Couple that with (again my opinion) the best goalie of all time, and that’s your answer to the ubiquitous question of how were the devils so damn good.
I love all opinions, but I would love a “Stevens “ award for the best defensive defenseman each year.
Legend, is my favorite hockey player. He was awesome.
I know I will always fear this man 😂
Scott layed people out but he did it by the book.
What the heck was Washington thinking by not signing Stevens? The 5 picks they got from the Blues were marginal. I haven’t seen the whole chart TBH. But this guy was an absolute weapon and champion. Legend!
Potvin, Stevens, Leetch, Park, in that order, greatest tri state D men, and I'm a Ranger fan
Hated him, bit respected him. The 90's were brutal, could put him at the top of that era. I don't think I've seen other players that could dominate the playoffs like he did, he just shut down the opposition, no matter who they were. Not only was he a hitter, but he was always in position. Some shots were questionable, but he wasn't the only one guilty of them.
Scott Stevens was the best body checker in the 80's with the Washington Capitals and then one year with the St. Louis Blues in 1990/91. He's best known for playing with the New Jersey Devils during the 1992 season, and so on until 2004. If you crossed the blue line with your head down then Scott would just hammer you. Eric Lindros, Ron Francis, Vyacheslav Kozlov & Paul Kariya were all hit extremely hard. Some fans referred to Stevens as a "Head Hunter" but he wasn't. He was just doing his job. If you were carrying the puck into the Devils zone non-chalantly, it could result in a huge mistake. He wasn't a goon. Scott actually registered over 900+ points for his career.
Elbows out
@@mondoseguendo6113 BS, he tucked in his elbows and rocked you with his shoulder. Guys who chicken wing, like Trouba, are awkward as hell because it is a desperate move. Stevens was calculated and vicious as hell.
There was a time D-men were taught to stand up at the blue line, Stevens owned that. Now, in today's non contact beer league rules, D-men sign autographs as you skate by and crash the net, injuring the goalie. Marty Brodeur never had that problem.
@DonKnight-qi4tu Yes, I agree. Some defensemen are not thinking properly and push the opposing player into their own goalie and risk injuries. Also, Martin Brodeur was healthy for a large majority of his career with Captain Scott Stevens ready to stick up for his goaltender.
@@DonKnight-qi4tu I grew up playing against juniors who played defense like Stevens.
I can tell you a guy who plants his feet perfectly into the ice, positions his body at the correct angle, and then literally stops your forward momentum is like running into an oak tree.
Studs like Stevens come along once in a generation and he ended guys careers because that was his job.
I loved watching Kariya, but you play with your head down or admire your pretty pass, well, shit's gonna happen.
I watched Stevens play during his career (I am philadelphia fan). My overall impression of him is he was dirty player. He reminded me of person who would sucker punch someone and then label himself as tough. I followed all four sports closely and will admit true greatness when I see it. For example, Larry Bird was a rare athlete who didn't look athletic but was so good in so many areas and amazingly lethal late in games with big shots. I watched him bury my Sixers on regular basis. True greatness. But for Scott Stevens, he was just a big sized defensemen who took joy in trying to injury unsuspecting players who had their head down for a moment. In his interviews, I don't sense any remorse or even a suggestion that maybe there was a better way to go about being top defenseman that was based on true skills and some level of integrity.
Ever heard of the Broad Street Bullies and the Philly flu? Stevens was a wrecking ball and deserves to be in the HOF. Not a Devils fan, boring sleeper hockey. The only excitement on that team was #4.
So feared
On my all time team my D would be Orr, Potvin, Salming, Robinson, Pronger and Stevens. Sorry Lidstrom, you're not dressing tonight.
6-1. I always thought that he was 9 feet tall. Awesome player
Great pick on this gem. Love scotty! Captain Crunch! He was someone as a devils fan that you could count on. As a kid who played defense in the 2000's, he was someone to look at and model play after. don't give the other team too much space to work. keep them on their feed. make those big turnovers come at the most crucial moments. Play for the name on the front, not the name on the back.
Was he vicious or was he clever ? Most of his hits were legal despite surprising his opponents while they were coming head down unaware ... Quite tough but still legal, isn't it ?
Who had more knock outs, Mike Tyson or Scott Stevens?
He was a good hard hitting
talented defenseman. The Flyers offered St. Louis a deal and it was turned down. The guy who does the narrating never played that is obvoios.
6:50 ah come on now. This isn’t about his elbows. And it’s kind of a scarecrow to talk about legality. Vs today or his time? Bc there’s a reason the times changed. I’m not going to rewrite history, but Stevens was a predator. My issue was he was famous for hitting guys at times when they were slashing to beat their defensive responsibility. Ironically his gifted timing which made him actually a pretty good player of the hockey made him diabolical when it came to hitting. There were FAR dirtier players. And to be honest even by today he was still mostly legal. But notice how the 3 hits we think of their heads are down. NOT bc they are blindly skating. That’s a misnomer his defenders use. They were lollygagging through a zone aloof and without fear. Not entirely true. They were beating their man before he appeared from a blind spot to at the most opportune moment as they take their biggest step around their man. I wouldn’t call that filthy. But I wouldn’t call that sporting either. He knew exactly what he was doing. It’s just that wasn’t crazy for his time. I don’t blame the guy for that. And to be fair, he didn’t overstep egregiously imo. But he neither had zero mercy. He was just much better at timing his shots than others.
Make a Ray Bourque video
Watched his career saw him play at Madison Square garden. Tough sob. Dont repeat dont carry the puck with your head down he woulld knock you into next week
Lindtros ragg dolled him when they squared up man to man.
An excellent defensive defenseman who also could put up some points, Stevens has to be regarded as the deadliest bodychecker of all time. He could devastate opponents with open-ice shoulder hits or upend them with huge hip checks.
Some hits were dirty, but the majority weren’t. At times, he’d put an elbow in there or sometimes deliver a LATE hit on an unsuspecting opponent. Stevens was very opportunistic.
Strangely, his tremendous physical strength and extraordinary athleticism didn’t translate into fighting all that well. Don’t get me wrong, Stevens was tough and could take care of himself, but didn’t dominate fights all that often.
Stevens fought a good deal in his younger days with Washington and St Louis, at times answering the bell with the baddest heavyweights of the era, like Dave Brown and Bob Probert. Stevens didn’t win any of those scraps, but he hung in there.
Later, with New Jersey, he fought a lot less. Part of that was Stevens had developed into too important a player to be in the penalty box too much. Another reason is that Stevens had become more of an agitator who would play mind games with his opponents. He’d throw vicious hits, instigate trouble, then back off, letting the officials intervene or his teammates do the fighting for him. When he DID fight, he picked his spots a lot more, only taking on true tough guys when forced into it.
This facet of Stevens is less than admirable, but there’s no doubting his effectiveness as a defender and thorn in opponents’ sides.
Memorialize Johnny Gaudreau next, please.
Your wish is my command
Of course you had to fear him because he would hit you in the head if you had the puck or not. He didn't need to target the head or hit guys late but he did it anyway. He had great NHL skills with a Matt Cooke mentality. A player like that is tough to play against. Especially when you could get away with so much back then with the lack of rules based on player safety and fewer refs on the ice. (for most of his career) I have no problem with a hard nosed game by any stretch, but have some respect for the other players. He played the hard nosed game, but had no respect for the other players.
Yep. He was dirty af.
Clear elbow on Lindross.
Cement head
One of the only players I hate even after all these years
Stevens was on steroids. All the sudden in his mid-thirties he gained 25 lb of muscle not normal. When he went to the Olympics in 98 he had to go off of them so he could pass his test and he didn't have a single point the whole tournament and Canada finished fourth that year😂
Mr. Elbow
he tooked a cheap shot at kariya
The hits on Lindros and Kariya were pure evil. Simply intended to injure.
I played hockey not in the majors obviously but in a pretty serious U9 house league back in the day. And let me tell you this from experience: No one is afraid of no one or nothing on the ice, i'd take on the players mothers- and ref's too- if it kept me on the team...
Man if my coach would have put me in... We would have gone all the way! I would have made state! i can smell the sweet suds of victory coming from my shoud have been Champaigne hot tub!
lgbtq2 for certain
Not a dirty player at all and im a leafs fan and i remember when he took out Lindros. Scott was just a heavy hitter and played his game very well.
The best check in NHL history was Stevens on Lindros.
Mike Weaver on Patrick Sharpe was probably a harder hit. The hit was so hard it sounded like an NFL hit because you could hear the pop of the pads. Also everyone was relatively ok afterwards and no penalty was called on the play, just a good hard clean open ice check.
It was good but my personal fav was Kasparitis on Lindros just cause of the size discrepancy, they both destroyed Lindros.
@@TheronAnderson-hy3lp Yes that was a great one as well
How feared was Scott Stevens?
VERY FEARED.
He could score too. Heck, even Rob Blake was less feared. He used to throw hip checks, but then I guess he decided to use his shoulder. The hit on Lindros, after seeing the replay for the umpteenth time, he used his whole upper arm, elbow included. I think that's a semi-legal hit.
Also you forgot about, I think it was Dave Manson vs Scott Stevens at centre ice one time in... I think St. Louis.
Nope. I just checked on that fight, and it was in Chicago. The St. Patrick's day massacre it is apparently called now.
Cap'n Crunch!
Wendel Clarke was called Cap'n Crunch too, but I definitely think it applies more to Stevens.
Head hunter
He was respected, but not feared.
Tough guy for sure. The majority of his hits were clean, although the hit on Lindros was dirty, as he caught him in the head.
Line backer on skates!
How feared ? Very feared .
That’s the way the game is played kids. That’s what it takes to win Stanley anything in life. The only reason fan’s don’t like him is because their teams coaches needed a cattle prod to get them off the bench to face him. Don’t act as if you didn’t want him on your squad.
He was a tough and mean s.o.a.b. I never liked him that much. Today half of those hits he did would be illegal. And look at his jaw, I would'nt be surprised he was on juice for a while.
His elbows are tucked on every hit! get over it he was bar none the best at it!!!
Still pissed off in st Louis they took our captain
The rules changed because of his propensity for injuring players. Concussions are no joke.
He was one of if not the best open-ice hitters in the modern era of defencemen. His intensity is what won the Devils cups and he was a Rock!
A lousy fighter though!
The game was different then. In my opinion, it was a better overall game than it is today. Stevens hits are considered to be dirty and definitely would be illegal today. They were clean hits in the tme period during which they occured. Cry about it all you want.
Ask Paul
Ask Slava, and Eric too.
I’ve never seen that camera angle of the Kariya hit before, and damn does it ever cement my stance on that hit:
Obviously it’s a shame that it more or less ended his career and screwed up his life but like, bro, this is the NHL and with Scott Stevens on the ice no less- WHY ARE YOU SKATING COMPLETELY OBLIVIOUS TO YOUR SURROUNDINGS, ADMIRING YOUR PASS?!?!?! Like what did he possibly think would happen??
Just like the Lindros hit, that was 100% clean and likely wouldn’t have even happened or would have been much less severe if they just *looked around*
I don’t believe in victim blaming, but I do believe in responsibility for your actions..
I’m so sick of people looking back at these hits and painting Stevens as some kind of monster for, *checks notes* , playing the game and playing it damn well.
There wasn’t even a penalty on that Kariya hit, yet people act like Stevens should be in jail because of it lmao
Sure it was nasty, sure it was mean, but that was the NHL at the time- if players don’t like it they could go play in the European leagues like Lemieux did
Having finished the video I feel compelled to add that Stevens was absolutely a legend and I hate that people try to throw him in the same camp as dirty players and goons like Matt Cooke or even Messier
You can level a guy without hitting the head. Going in like that, you have no other purpose than to injure another player. That in itself is just cowardly.
@@KnutHelgeMidttun Okay but that’s just playoff hockey man, with every single hit you’re trying to hurt the other team..
As much as I hate Marchand, I have to respect him for saying the quiet part out loud this year after he got levelled and missed a couple games against FLA.
And once again, if you’re out there completely oblivious and skating with your head down, or pass-watching paying no attention to anything/anyone else, you’re gonna get smoked and that’s nobody’s fault but your own.
@@XxCorvette1xXStevens was great but he had no respect. That's why people got hurt, and that's why he is a dirty player. The intent is supposed to be to knock someone off of the puck, not end their careers. He knew when players were most vulnerable and preyed on that. That's not what the game is about. He was both a bright spot and a stain on the game. Purposefully trying to end someone's livelihood is a bit cowardly and a lot disgraceful.
Ovi had been around at that time. He would have put Stevens on his punk azz or maybe in the hospital. And for every doe eyed fan boy saying "his hits were clean for the era he played in," let me say this. Elbowing and hits to the head were penalties looooong before this goofs mom lost her v card.
Kw boy...
That was called an open ice hit. Keep your head up. This is not dirty. Now, in this league today, one I can't hardly stomach anymore... it is dirty. Absolute bullshit in my opinion. Keep your head up and grow a pair or go play badminton.
Eric “keep your head down Lindros” knows 🫣
He was tough but he also targeted smaller players and europeans frequently
Smaller players??? Like Lindros?
@@stevensmith780
Like Paul Kariya, Bob Bassen , Vikor Kozlov Most of the time the players were already engaged with another defender. He’s had some cowardly/dirty play over the years
No matter who the player was. If you had your head down your going to get hit hard. He ruined some players careers with clean hard hits. You will not find a player like Stevens today.
He was so dirty. So good. But more dirty than good? I’d definitely want him on my team.
go do the dishes lgbtq2
Hits fair, and turtles when he is challenged. Fu man chu doesn't intimidate me . Still a goof.
He was a dirty player that sob
Almost as good as Denis Potvin.
He was a dirty player no doubt about it
Moving forward players playing in this manner will not be allowed. Diminishes the game, taking more skilled players livelihood away. No one needs to see that.
He blindsided players regularly. That's a coward move.
I thought he was great even against my Red Wings when he hit Kossy he didn't know where he was that's fair it was for the cup but I seen him belt a kid and hurt him when his team was way ahead with only a couple of minutes left I lost respect for him you wouldn't see the Vladinater for the Wings hurt someone just because they could
LoL Stevens is a sociopath, 90% of his "hits" are illegal.
He was a little coward, who took cheap shots at guys heads and rarely fought.