Scott Stevens Ronald Scott Stevens ( born April 1 , 1964 ) is a retired professional defenceman . Stevens played 22 seasons in the National Hockey League ( NHL ) for the Washington Capitals , St . Louis Blues , and the New Jersey Devils . Although offensively capable , Stevens was largely known for his defensive play and his heavy body checking on opponents . Stevens started his career with the Capitals , where he helped the team make the playoffs for the first time . After spending a season with the Blues , he was acquired by the Devils through arbitration . Personifying the team ' s defense - first mentality , he captained the Devils to four Stanley Cup Finals appearances in nine years , winning three of them . In 2000 , he won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the Stanley Cup playoffs . Despite his team success with the Devils , he never won the Norris Trophy as the league ' s best defenceman . His career came to an end after a slapshot hit his head and caused post - concussion syndrome . He was later inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2007 , his first year of eligibility . Early life . Stevens was born in Kitchener , Ontario . His early play impressed scouts , and he was taken ninth overall by his hometown Kitchener Rangers in the 1981 Ontario Hockey League draft . Stevens was an integral part of the Rangers ' defense , playing in every game of the season en route to the team ' s Memorial Cup victory . In addition , Stevens played in the OHL All - Star Game . Early years in Washington . Stevens was taken fifth overall in the 1982 NHL Entry Draft by the Washington Capitals . Due to injuries to other players during training camp , Stevens made the team at 18 years old , and never played a game in the minor leagues . He made an immediate impact , scoring on his first shot in his first NHL game . Due to his commitment to the Capitals , he was unable to join Team Canada for the World Junior Championships , even though he had attended their training camp . Although he only scored 25 points in his debut season , he made the All - Rookie Team . In addition , he led all rookie defencemen in penalty minutes . He finished third in the voting for the Calder Memorial Trophy . Stevens ' early career was also marked by high penalty minutes . He led 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 . Stevens ' debut with the Capitals coincided with the team ' s first franchise playoff appearance . During his first few seasons , the team emphasized a defense - first mindset for all of its players . No where was this more obvious than the 1983 – 84 season , when Rod Langway won his second James Norris Memorial Trophy as best defenceman , Al Jensen and Pat Riggin combined to win the William Jennings Trophy for fewest goals allowed , and Doug Jarvis won the Frank J . Selke Trophy for best defensive forward . Bryan Murray won the Jack Adams Award for best coach as well . Stevens learned from Langway and defensive linemate Brian Engblom on the finer points of playing defense . Murray also helped calm the fiery young Stevens , who would learn to fight less and play harder . Stevens also displayed his offensive abilities with the team . In the 1984 – 85 season , 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 . Stevens led all Washington defencemen in scoring three times , and for a brief period Murray actually considered switching him to a winger . During the 1987 – 88 season , Stevens finished second on the team in scoring with 12 goals and 60 assists for 72 points . He ended up finishing second behind Ray Bourque in the voting for the Norris Trophy . Over eight seasons with the Capitals , Stevens finished with 98 goals and 429 points in 601 games . He also played in two All - Star Games in 1985 and 1989 . Controversy in St . Louis . After eight seasons in Washington , Stevens felt it was time to move on . The St . Louis Blues courted him and offered a four - year deal worth $ 5 . 145 million . Since Stevens was a restricted free agent , Washington had the option to match the offer sheet ; they declined , however , and received five first - round picks as compensation . Stevens ' signing had far - reaching ramifications on player contracts in the NHL . At the time , the deal made Stevens the highest - paid defenceman in the league . In addition , the deal included a $ 1 . 4 million signing bonus . Several defencemen considered superior players to Stevens , including Ray Bourque and Chris Chelios , were earning less money , and Capitals defenceman Kevin Hatcher held out until he received a contract similar to that of Stevens . 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 the 1994 – 95 NHL lockout several seasons later . After his arrival in St . Louis , Stevens was named captain of the Blues . He scored 5 goals and added 44 assists for 49 points , good enough for fifth on a team led by Brett Hull and Adam Oates . Stevens made the Campbell Conference All - Star Team as well . The Blues were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs by the Minnesota North Stars . Stevens would not have the opportunity to continue his success in St . Louis . In the offseason following the 1990 – 91 NHL season , the Blues signed Brendan Shanahan from the New Jersey Devils . Like Stevens the year before , Shanahan was a restricted free agent , and thus the Devils were entitled to compensation . The teams could not agree on what the compensation was ; the Blues offered goalie Curtis Joseph , forward Rod Brind ' Amour , and two draft picks , but the Devils wanted Stevens . The case went to arbitration , and a judge ruled that Stevens was to be awarded to the Devils in September 1991 . Stevens ended the year winning the Canada Cup with Team Canada . New Jersey . 1991 – 1995 . Initially , Stevens refused to report to the Devils for training camp . The Devils were already worried after captain Kirk Muller walked out of camp . Stevens and his wife had made plans to settle in St . Louis , and he wanted to end his career with the Blues . In addition , he was concerned about the apparent lack of unity in the organization , citing Muller ' s walkout as proof . Several Devils players were upset over the feeling that Stevens was being forced upon the team ; some players , including Ken Daneyko , wanted more money , while other players wanted general manager Lou Lamoriello to trade Stevens . He would eventually report to the Devils three weeks later . Stevens finished his first season in New Jersey fifth on the team in scoring , and earned a spot on the Second All - Star Team . He earned a spot on the All - Star roster for the second consecutive season , and would go on to miss only one All - Star game for the remainder of his career as a Devil . In the offseason , Stevens replaced Bruce Driver as team captain , a title he would hold until his retirement ( though Scott Niedermayer served as captain for the later half of the 2003 – 04 season while Stevens was injured ) . After another season leading all Devils defencemen in scoring , 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 . 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 . Five days later , the Devils matched the offer , and thus Stevens remained in New Jersey . However , the Devils later found out that 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 USD , and awarded the Devils two St . Louis first - round draft picks . 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 that Stevens was aware of any wrongdoing . After the 1995 season was delayed due to an owners ' lockout , the Devils were off to a slow start , winning only 9 of their first 24 games . However , they managed to finish fifth in the conference to capture a playoff spot . After playoff victories over the Boston Bruins , Pittsburgh Penguins , and Philadelphia Flyers , the Devils faced the Detroit Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Finals , and shocked the hockey world by sweeping them for the franchise ' s first hockey championship . Stevens ' reputation as a hard hitter was reinforced in Game 2 , when he leveled Vyacheslav Kozlov with a body check that temporarily knocked him out of the game . It was later determined that Kozlov suffered a concussion . Stevens then turned to Wings forward Dino Ciccarelli , who was upset about the check , and said " You ' re next ! " 1996 – 1999 . The Devils expected to defend their Stanley Cup title the following season . However , they became the first team in 26 years to miss the playoffs following a championship . Stevens started the 1996 – 97 season with a one game suspension due to a high - sticking penalty against Igor Larionov , which drew blood . The team , however , returned to a solid style of play , and finished the season atop the Atlantic Division , though they would be eliminated in the playoffs once again by the crosstown rival New York Rangers . Stevens finished second on the team among defencemen in scoring behind Scott Niedermayer . Stevens ' leadership continued into the next season . He signed a contract extension with the Devils , stating at the time that he wanted to finish his career with the team . Stevens was especially important to the Devils ' defensive corps , as longtime Devil Ken Daneyko was undergoing rehabilitation for alcoholism . However , he suffered a hip pointer injury against the Tampa Bay Lightning , and missed several games . Stevens once again had a good defensive season , although his lack of scoring kept him out of consideration for the Norris Trophy . The Devils finished as the top seed in the Eastern Conference , but were eliminated in the first round by the Ottawa Senators . The Devils made several changes prior to the 1998 – 99 season , including the hiring of Robbie Ftorek as coach to replace Jacques Lemaire . 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 . 2000 – 2004 . The 1999 – 2000 Devils focused more on offense , which was reinforced by their 251 goals scored , good enough for second in the league . With four players scoring over 50 points , including rookie Scott Gomez ' s team leading 51 assists , Stevens ' 29 points were only good enough for tenth on the team , and third among defencemen behind Niedermayer and Brian Rafalski . 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 . During the first period , Flyers star center Eric Lindros was skating through the neutral zone with his head down . Stevens leveled him with a hard body check , forcing Lindros out of the game with a concussion . It was only Lindros ' second game since returning from a concussion suffered in March against the Boston Bruins . Stevens was upset by the play , and had to be consoled by coach Larry Robinson during the intermission . However , Flyers defenceman Dan McGillis admitted the hit was clean . Stevens had previously taken Flyers center Daymond Langkow out with a concussion after game 2 . The Devils completed the comeback against the Flyers with a 2 – 1 victory and faced off against the defending Stanley Cup champion Dallas Stars in the Stanley Cup Finals . Stevens and Rafalski were tasked with the responsibility of shutting down Dallas ' scoring line of Mike Modano , Brett Hull , and Joe Nieuwendyk . Stevens scored the game - winner in the first game of the series , en route to a Devils 7 - 3 victory ; the goal was his third of the playoffs . The Devils went on to win the Finals in six games , after Game Five went to three overtime periods and Game Six was decided in double overtime . Stevens earned an assist on Jason Arnott ' s Cup - winning goal , and won the Conn Smythe Trophy for his leadership role on the team . The Devils were keen to repeat as Stanley Cup champions at the start of the 2000 – 01 NHL season . Led by Patrik Eliáš ' franchise - record of 96 points , and Alexander Mogilny ' s team - leading 43 goals , the team finished first in the conference . After defeating Carolina , Toronto , and Pittsburgh in the playoffs , the Devils once again made the Finals , this time against the Colorado Avalanche . Despite being up three games to two , however , the Devils could not finish off the Avalanche , and lost the series in seven games . Stevens finished third in the voting for the Norris Trophy . The next season , Stevens finished with his lowest scoring total in his career , though he did become the youngest player ever to play in 1 , 500 games . The Devils , however , fell in the first round of the playoffs to the Hurricanes , who went on to lose to Detroit in the Stanley Cup finals . Stevens and the Devils once again had success in 2002 - 03 , finishing first in the division . In addition , he was named as captain of the Eastern Conference All - Star team for the first time , and finished the season with the fewest penalty minutes over a full season in his career . The Devils played well in the playoffs , knocking off Boston , Tampa Bay , and Ottawa to face the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in the Finals . Stevens and the Devils had a minor scare in Game 3 of the semifinals against Tampa Bay when a slapshot from Pavel Kubina hit the side of his head and forced him to leave the game . Although there was uncertainty whether he would return for Game 4 , Stevens in fact returned , and did not miss a game throughout the remainder of the playoffs . 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 . Stevens added to his list of playoff hits when he knocked down Ducks forward Paul Kariya in Game Six . However , Kariya came back shortly thereafter and led the Ducks to a victory , forcing a seventh game . The Devils kept the Ducks scoreless in Game Seven , 3 - 0 , to win their third Stanley Cup in nine years . Stevens ' appearance in Game Seven tied Patrick Roy ' s record for appearances in Game Sevens , with 13 . Despite the play of Stevens , Martin Brodeur , Jamie Langenbrunner , and Jeff Friesen , the Conn Smythe Trophy went to Ducks goaltender Jean - Sébastien Giguère . Some speculated that there were too many worthy Devils candidates for the trophy , resulting in a split vote among sportswriters . The 2003 – 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 . Unfortunately , he missed several games in January with the flu , and while he was out , he was diagnosed with post - 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 . 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 ' defense , and they fell to the Flyers in the first round of the playoffs . In the offseason , Stevens recovered and continued to work out , and expected to return to the Devils for the 2004 – 05 NHL season . However , the owners ' lockout canceled the entire season , and Stevens retired on September 6 , 2005 . In addition to his NHL career , Stevens represented Canada in several international ice hockey competitions . As part of Team Canada , he won silver medals at the 1985 and 1989 Ice Hockey World Championships , as well as a bronze medal at the 1983 championship . He was on the roster for two Canada Cups ; he did not play in 1984 , but he won the gold medal in 1991 . In addition , he played in the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano , Japan , although Canada failed to medal , Overall , Stevens has played for Canada in : International statistics