In light of Scott Stevens getting his position as the Assistant Coach of the Devils I decided to take a look at the top 10 greatest Scott Stevens moments. So let's get started!
10. Getting sent to NJ
It's tough for any Devil fan to believe it but there was a time when Scott Stevens didn't want to be a Devil. And for those of you who don't know the whole story it is more dramatic than you think. After a huge court battle the Devils were able to secure him. The Blues originally signed Brendan Shanahan who was an restricted free agent. This required St Louis to compensate NJ. The Blues were offering 2 draft picks, Curtis Joseph, and Rod Brind'amour. But Lou demanded Scotty. And he got him!
9 Off the floor, on the board Paul Kariya
Now this one I put low not because of the hit. If it was just the hit it probably would've been #3. It's because of what happened AFTER the hit. Now looking back on it it's over, the Devils won in game 7 at home so everything turned out ok in the end. But at the time, it was one of the most surreal moments I've ever experienced as a hockey fan. Don't know what I'm talking about? Take a look.
8 Being named Captain of the Devils
Scott Stevens has become synonymous with leadership. In just his second season with the team he was named captain after serving the previous season as alternate captain. This I feel was the moment where we knew as Devil fans that he was a main stay for our organization. He was and will always be the greatest captain in New Jersey Devil history.
7 The 3rd Cup
I put this sort of low on the list. But it was one of the greatest moments of my entire life for obvious reasons. I was 14 years old at the time, and I just remember seeing Stevens raise his arms up as the clock was about to wind down. He and Daneyko were the two defensemen on the ice for that final buzzer and that really meant a lot to both of them.
6 The hit on Ron Francis
Ron Francis is a legend. But I'm not sure if he even remembers half of his career all because of one hit by Stevens that sent him to the bench but not before falling to the ice a total of three times. Just a good, clean, hard check.
5 "You're Next!"
This is where we get to the nitty gritty in that I could not think of what to put in what order. The hit on Kozlov during game 2 of the 1995 Finals fills the 5 spot. Or the "5 hole" if you will. What made this awesome was that it sparked a fear into the Wings that carried over at home in games 3 and 4. It not only sent Kozlov to the ice, but Niedermayer as well. This in many Devil fans minds, coupled with the Niedermayer coast-to-coast goal, was the moment that we knew that Cup was ours. Dino Ciccarelli started chirping at Scotty on the bench. To which Scott Stevens replied: "You're next!"
4 ever
It just so happens that this one comes in at #4 on my list. Nooooo not intentional at all. Scott Stevens received a huge honor and got his number retired by the Devils becoming the first ever player to do so. He was followed by Daneyko a month later and Niedermayer last season. I still get teary eyed whenever I hear that chant: "Thank you Scotty!" coming from the packed Continental Airlines Arena. I think Scotty said it best: "I think this is the first time I've ever felt intimidated on this ice."
3 The hit on Eric Lindros
This one goes without saying. It is regarded by many to be the greatest body check in NHL history. Rightfully so. Lindros was never the same after this hit. He suffered from concussion after concussion and never ever got back his scoring touch. After going down 3-1 to Philly in the 2000 ECF, the Devils rallied back to tie the series at 7. During that game 7 Stevens stunned the First Union Center by leveling their captain. Bobby Holik immediately turned to his teammates sitting next to him and said "Boys, we're gonna win this one!" That's exactly what they did.
2 1st Cup
The upset that no one saw coming. The red hot Red Wings against the kids from the Garden State. This was the moment that started a chain of events that led us to becoming the best team in the East over the past two decades.
1 The 2000 Stanley Cup/Conne Smythe
No doubt the best moment for Scott Stevens was the 2000 Stanley Cup. Just the effort he put out during the whole playoffs was unbelievable. I already talked about the Lindros hit, but it goes way beyond that. He shut down Pavel Bure and Mark Recchi as well. He got an assist on the Cup winning OT goal. Stevens was rewarded for his efforts with the Conne Smythe Trophy, awarded to the playoff MVP.
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