Scott Stevens: Forever Beloved, Forever Hated, and Forever Remembered

(Photo by Dave Sandford/Getty Images/NHLI)

April 28th, 2009 has gone down as my worst day as a New Jersey Devils fan in 15 years.

This day concluded a hard-fought seven-game series that ended with the Devils blowing 3-2 lead with 80 seconds to go and one of the best Goalies of all-time in net. He let in two goals, causing the Devils to bow out in the first round for a second straight year.

Right after I was done torturing myself by watching the final minutes of Game Seven (as well as Game Four), the next step in the grieving process is to remind myself of better days. I watched the Championship tapes from the 1995, 2000, and 2003 Stanley Cup Champions.

I also watched virtually all of the video I could find on YouTube involving good New Jersey Devils moments.

I was reminded of many wonderful moments: Mike Peluso crying on the bench in the final minutes of the clinching Game Four, Patrik Elias' winner in Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Finals, Jason Arnott's double-OT goal to end the 2000 Stanley Cup Finals, and Jeff Friesen's icing on the cake in Game Seven of the 2003 Finals.

Many of these great moments keep leading to the same thing: Gary Bettman presenting the captain Scott Stevens with the Stanley Cup.

At some point it hit me; it's been five years since the man retired! Stevens, now 45 years old and in the Hall of Fame has moved on, but I have not. I do not want to move on, I will not move on. The man has meant too much to the New Jersey Devils and to me.

While he was not a Devil for his entire career, his eight years in Washington will be at least as well-known for his racking up of penalties and short temper as it will for his effectiveness on the power play. And he only spent one season in St. Louis.

I got a tear in my eye from merely just looking for the right picture for this article. And it is much more than the fact the man just happened to have a "C" on his jersey.

And the wonderful ride nearly didn't even happen.

The 1990-1991 season was Scott Stevens first and last season as a member of the St. Louis Blues. The St. Louis Blues signed Brendan Shanahan from the New Jersey Devils in the off-season.

Shanahan was a restricted free agent, meaning that the Devils were to be given compensation. The Blues offered goaltender Curtis Joseph, forward Rod Brind'Amour as well as two draft picks

But the New Jersey Devils were insistent on having Scott Stevens, the highest paid defenceman in the league. An arbiter ruled in favor of the Devils.

Stevens refused to report at first. Having just moved with his wife to St. Louis, Stevens wished to finish his career with the Blues. He also saw the Devils captain at the time, Kirk Muller, leave training camp and was concerned that this suggested a lack of stability.

Stevens did not want them and Devils players wanted him gone. But Stevens would show up three weeks later and how incredibly fortunate that he did.

Scott Stevens' prior success on offence would carry over to Brendan Byrne Arena. Stevens would finish fifth on the team in scoring in his first season with the team. The following year he would lead the Devils' defencemen in scoring.

In the 93-94 season he would lead the team in scoring and led the league in Plus-Minus rating at 53. Vladimir Konstantinov is the only player to lead the league in Plus-Minus since at such a high number.

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?