Scott Stevens - Legacy

Legacy

Stevens left a lasting legacy on the NHL. Stevens was the longest reigning captain in Devils history. Later on in his career, he mentored the younger Devils defencemen like Colin White and Brian Rafalski, who was Stevens' defensive linemate. Longtime teammate Scott Niedermayer said Stevens was "not the most vocal guy around", but he would talk to players when it was necessary. Stevens was honored by the Devils by becoming the first player in team history to have his number retired by the team; his #4 was raised to the rafters on February 3, 2006. Additionally, the Kitchener Rangers have retired #3 for Stevens.

Stevens was also remembered as a hard hitter, often leveling players who crossed an open part of the ice with their heads down. Among the victims of Stevens' body checks were Slava Kozlov, Eric Lindros, Paul Kariya, Shane Willis and Ron Francis, the last of whom was inducted with Stevens into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2007. Some players have accused Stevens of playing cheap. After his check on Willis, Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Arturs Irbe said Stevens was "trying to kill or put him out of the playoffs." Stevens responded:

On the other hand, Kozlov did not blame Stevens for his hit, and said he was a clean player. Despite his penchant for hits, Stevens finished his career with only four elbowing penalties in the regular season. He was often credited with changing the momentum of a game not with a goal, but with a hard check, earning him the nickname "Captain Crunch". He was named the fifth most fearsome player in NHL history by the Sporting News in 2001 and was voted the toughest player in the NHL by the voters. NHL defenceman Dion Phaneuf used to be often compared to Stevens, and says he idolizes Stevens' style of play.