Scott Stevens Retires

Arguably the best all-round defenseman ever.

Certainly the most fearsome bodychecker the league has ever seen.

Underrated offensively throughout his career, he is still the Devils all-time best defenseman for points, assists, etc.

Despite being the hardest of the hard, you can count his elbowing penalties on one hand. He may have been devestating to play against, but he was always 'clean', and never 'cheap'.

Nowadays his name is used as a compliment heaped unfairly onto young defensemen who if they exhibit even a whiff of physical play are inevitably described as being 'a Scott Stevens type of defenseman'. Unless you invoke the names of Orr or Bourque, there is no higher compliment you could give a young rearguard.

Through and through, he was a hockey player's hockey player.