Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:12):
Card King here right come.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Hello, sports fan, sports collectors and all hobbyists. Welcome to
The Car King Sports and Variety Show. I am your host,
the Catman, Brian Cadaquin aka the car King. We are
live on ABC's k m e T fourteen ninety a
m dot com. You're number one spot right here for
news and talk on the West Coast. I thank everyone
for tuning in this morning on the telephone line. I
(00:36):
welcome to the program. A former NHL two time Stanley
Cup champion, He's a three time NHL All Star and
an Olympian, played primarily for the Pittsburgh Penguins as well
as the Bruins and other teams. I welcome in left
Wing Kevin Stevens.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Kevin. Great to have you.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Hi, Bye all, good to be here. Thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
My pleasure. What and honor so Kevin.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Before I delve into your career, your Hall of Fame career, Uh,
let's talk a little bit about what you're doing these
days and your website, Power Forward twenty five, give us
all the information.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
Yeah, the Power Forward twenty five is our foundation that
my sister and I started about five or six years ago.
And what we do is we try to help people.
You know, well, I always felt like when you went
into treatment, when you finished achieving, where would you go.
So what we do is we we we give people
scholarships for four to six weeks, so when they get
(01:34):
out of treatment, give them that, give them that opportunity
to go live in a sober house over here in Massachusetts,
and you know, given the ability to kind of kind
of be around guys and trying to doubt that are
trying to do the same thing they're doing and in
further their life. So we've we've given a lot of scholarships.
It's been great. It's been something that we really, uh
(01:55):
take pride in and it has its seems to be
working well. And we just kind like dow the other night,
so we had a big, a big fundraiser, so everything's
going well. It was just kind of push forward, but
it's yeah, it's been great.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Hey, Kevin, you know I read a lot about your
career before this interview, and you know it's noted publicly.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
You know, you had an uphill battle with addiction.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Yeah, thankful, but thankfully you know you overcame it and
you're graciously giving back to the community with your organization.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
Now, when did the addiction start? Now? Did it start
in your late twenties?
Speaker 3 (02:33):
Yeah, yeah, I was. I was kind of one of
a later bloomer type of thing or the addiction. I
was twenty eight years old, you know, we just want
to Stanley Cops who were playing was on for our
third Stanley Cup and I made twenty I was twenty.
Like I said, I was twenty eight years old. I
made like a twenty second decision. One night in New York.
Someone handed me something and now I know it was
(02:55):
cocaine and I tried it. And then from there, from
that decision off and the next twenty four years, my
life kind of changed. It didn't change like that night,
but it changed the path of my my life. You know,
I had no idea I had that addictive gene or
whatever they say that you have, and now I activated
something that that that took me down. The path was tough,
(03:15):
and then like I said, I got sober then you know,
then then with the foundation and to help people. So
that's that's the main thing right now. It's just been great.
I still work, like I still work in hockey with
the Penguins, but for that foundation is something my sister
and I am proud of and you know, we're helping
a lot of people, so hopefully we can keep doing that.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Yeah, you know, just for my knowledge because I'm curious.
I know it's a soft spot. I don't know if
if if you want to continue talking about this addiction habit.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
Now do you feel that some people just have the
gene for addiction?
Speaker 3 (03:53):
Yeah, I think I think they do. I think it's
I think you have it, you don't have it. I
think with me, you know, I had that team. I know,
like I said, I never did a dunk till at
twenty eight years old. I never try anything. So I
and I think that's the biggest thing about our website too,
or that is power Forward twenty five is is that
is that we want to be awareen it. I speak
(04:14):
to a lot of schools and a lot of different people,
but we need to we need to get it out
there that you can't even you know, you can't even try.
It's it's about it's not not not not having the
ability to even do this, you know, for you don't
put yourself in situations where you're around this stuff. And
it's it's important because it's you can't you can't play
around with this stuff. Now it's life or death. And
(04:36):
I know that I've seen a lot of people that,
you know, they went out one night and thinking that
they're going to wake up the next morning. They don't,
you know, because it's the thing, the feedanls and everything,
and it's just you just got to be careful, you know.
And I think, I think the more we can get
out there and talk about it and spread the word
that you know, this this is a serious, serious thing
in in our world, so you know, hopefully we can
(04:58):
just put a small attent in it and help.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
Yeah and did you try alcohol.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
Or was it just primarily Yeah, Yeah, alcohol was never
a problem like it was you know, I drank some
college and stuff like that. It's like it's like other
people do. But but when I when I tried the
cocaine kind of switched something into my brain. I don't,
you know. And I had no idea back then what
addiction was. It didn't didn't think I was going to
(05:27):
progress into an an addict, you know. I thought, you know,
I thought I'd just jump on the bus the next
day and things would be the same. But it's just
took me in a different way. And hit me in
a different way. And you know, then then I had
to go through the process against sober and I did
that and then not here I am today. But still
it's it's it's about awareness and it's about you know,
(05:48):
us talking about it and get it out there. So
like you know, people, people don't even try it because
I had no idea I had this, I had this
addictive gene in my body, or I had this you know,
whatever they say it is, I have no clue I
had this in my body.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
And the website for everyone listening is powerforward twenty five
dot com.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
Right, yeah, yeah, file Forward twenty five dot com.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
And I'm seeing that people can also make a donation, right,
they can also make it.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
Yeah, yeah, you can make a donation on there. You
can check out what we do and how we're doing it,
and everything's right there. But it's yeah, it's been. It's
been something that's yeah, We've been working with for six
or seven years now. So it's around my sister, and
my sister does a great job running the show. Whether
it I just to show up and do the best
I can too excellent.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
So what I'm gonna do after the show, I'm gonna
I'm gonna make my donation, so you know, I really
appreciate the work of doing Kevin.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
Uh So, let's let my pleasure.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
So nineteen eighty three a big year for you, drafted
by the NHL. If you go back to that time
period in your life, how did you first find out
the NHL was going to draft you?
Speaker 1 (07:03):
What were you doing that that special day?
Speaker 3 (07:07):
You know when I when when I when I got drafted,
it wasn't really a big deal like that wasn't like
you know, it wasn't like it is now how they
build it all up and they have the first round
on Friday night everything else. On Saturday, I got drafted.
I got a call and then my sisters actually called
me to and said that, you know, I heard you
got drafted. I was playing baseball. It was I think
it was the summertime. And then you know, I wasn't
(07:28):
really I wasn't really It wasn't in a day that
I sat there and time, wow, I'm gonna get drafted.
It wasn't like that back tin, And we didn't not
we did anticipate any of those things. It was just
kind of happened. And you know, Pittsburgh drafted me, and
I was kind of like, you know, it was great
and everything, but I never really thought that I get
to the point where I got to, you know.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
And you know what's amazing Kevin is that you know
everyone knows NHL is so big in Canada. Uh, you know,
for an.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
American player to achieve what you achieved, which is in
the record books.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
What did you specifically to hockey?
Speaker 3 (08:03):
Yeah, I was one of those guys that played everything.
I played hockey, football, in baseball, and a little bit
of basketball. So I played all sports and then I
kind of just I got a scholarship to go to
Boxton College to play hockey. I actually I liked baseball
a little a little bit more than I like I
wonder to the you know, wanted to play baseball. But
but when I got the hockey scholarships to Boxton College,
(08:25):
it was I think I was a junior in high
school and you know, I always my sister went to BC,
so it was like, you know, I I love Boxton
College and I loved you know, the hockey program has
always been great. So I got a scholarship to go there.
So that kind of thinking that I might play baseball,
like when when the hockey season was over my freshman year,
but it was they were like five or ten games
(08:45):
into the season. It was everything just kind of didn't
work out the way. So I just stuck with hockey
and from there, you know, obviously things worked out pretty good.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
And we're talking with Hockey USA Hall of Famer Kevin Stevens,
who's with us this morning. Kevin nineteen eighty three. As
I mentioned, NHL draft comes along. You drafted sixth round
first by the Kings, and then you.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
Were off to Pittsburgh. That's how it happened, right.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
Yeah, yeah, I got traded. I got drafted by the Kings,
and then I got traded the Pittsburgh which you know,
Eddie Johnson was a GM there and tell us he
made a trade like so he was to get me
to Pittsburgh and that worked out great obviously coming in there.
You know, like I said, I wasn't sure when I
(09:29):
first got drafted what, you know, where, where was this
was going to go or anything like that, But you know,
so I just worked her in college. I played with
great teammates there and then I was able to go
win the Pittsburgh After the Olympics, I played the Olympics
in nineteen eighty eight, and after that I went into Pittsburgh.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
Oh yeah, so talk a little bit about the Olympics.
How did you get chosen to be in the Olympics
in eighty eight?
Speaker 3 (09:52):
Yeah, you know that Olympic programing. Uh, we had a
couple of college tournaments in eighty seven. There still was amateurs,
so then when not like now it's the pro guys,
but back then it was still amateurs in eighty eight.
So you know, with the Olympics in nineteen eighty, everybody
wanted to play on the Olympic team and that was
that was quite an honor. Like I played in some
(10:13):
tournaments the year before for the US program. We went
to Russia with the team to stop so I was
able to play well enough to to make the Olympic
team and then you go train with them. We started
training in August and the Olympics started in February, so
we trained together. We trained the seventy eight months together
as a team and had a good team running over there.
(10:33):
But we're still playing against the troller, you know, the
Russians were still a pro teams there, so it was
but it was a lot of fun and.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
Over the Calgary Yeah, and I'm just going through these
chronology chronologically here. Less than a week after you competed
at the Olympics, you go on and debut your first
NHL game March first, nineteen eighty eight. That first debut game,
what do you recall most about that game?
Speaker 1 (10:57):
Were you nervous?
Speaker 3 (11:00):
I was? You know, I was one of those nights
where you know, you think you're ready. You always think
you're ready, and you're confidence you can go in there
and play well. But it was you know, those those
those are big steps. You know, they're playing the NHL
and there's so much same you know from college hockey,
from the Olympics was big in the Olympics to the
trow game, which is you know, so much big because
(11:20):
of you know, just the consistency you got to play
with to be a pro. You got to be show
up every night and they play play the way it's
supposed don't play hard, and you know that's that's something
you kind of learn as you go. But I think,
you know, I was. It was great to get there,
and Pittsburgh was a great spot. They were kind of
we were kind of rebuilding at that time, so we
(11:41):
had a lot of new guys coming in and it
was a really good bunch of guys.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
I mean, and also, you know the early nineties, Uh,
the Pittsburgh Penguins. I mean you you're talking about a
team that had great players. I mean you had Lemieux, Barasso,
Paul Coffee.
Speaker 3 (11:58):
Yeah, we are Lord, we are low the player Joga
was there, Yeah, yeah, Troi was there. Joey Mullen and
Ronnie Francis came in, you know, Alf Samuelson and Shelton,
and we had Tommy Brost. Like I said, we had
we know, we had we had a really good team
for a couple of years there. Like the team we
went we won two in a row ninety one, ninety two,
(12:19):
and ninety three was by far our best team. We
got beat that was the year we got beat by
the Islands in overtime. But that was you know, we had.
We had stretched there three or four years. We were
we had a real strong team.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
Hey, Kevin, I mean playing alongside lem you like you
mentioned Jogga and Troci, I mean, did these guys take
you in? How are they as teammates?
Speaker 1 (12:43):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (12:43):
They were were a great bunch of guys. They're better, better, better,
teammates than players. You know, these guys were awesome, awesome
to deal with every day. And we had a great
group of guys. Frank Patrick was that team. He put
together a great team and we were able to accomplish
whenever you can win, like it's just how you know,
everybody knows it's really hard to win that Stanley Cups.
(13:05):
You gotta get a great goal ten and everybody's gonna
stay healthy, and you know, you gotta have enough depth
so when you do have guys go down there, guys
except in and we had we had all the all
the ingredients to win the Stanley Cups. And we had
you know, great best in the leadership and young guys
pushing from one side. So yeah, we that team was
well built. We had a great bunch of guys, and
(13:27):
you know we had a good run there. You know,
we probably should have won three, but we won the
two there.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
And you know this is worth noting because I looked
this up and this is all over the internet. I mean,
two notable NHL seasons which is still discussed about that
nineteen nineties era in the NHL is the when you
outscored Wayne Gretzky with goals I mean the ninety one
ninety two season, you scored like fifty four goals with
(13:53):
one hundred and twenty three points.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
I mean, so you did it pretty quickly. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (13:59):
Yeah, I had a couple of big years there, but
I was you know, basically, I played with great I
played with Johnny Collen that first year. I played with
Johnny Collen and Mark Wrecky and and then you know
obviously in the power play with Mario and stuff, and
but it was, you know, we just had we had
a good mix of players. We were great defenseman. We
(14:21):
you know, we were learning how to win, and some
of the veteran guys to help with that. So it
was just it was a great mix you put together.
And you know, we went on a little run there,
and like I said, I thought we should we should
have three, but two was good.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
Hey hey, Kevin, you know another interesting thing about about
you is that you know you're you're a tall guy.
But you know, your peers they all say the same thing.
I mean, what did you six three six four? I
mean you had such you had such speed on the ice. Uh,
how did you keep.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
In shape during those times? I mean did you work out?
What was your workout? Regimen.
Speaker 3 (14:58):
Yeah, we worked out hard. Spent most of my summers
in LA working out with TIERR. Goodman out there in LA.
We had we have probably twenty or thirty guys that
worked out out in LA for like eight weeks, you know.
Then when I came back to Boston and skating and
then went to Pittsburgh, so it was it was, yeah,
it was a good you know, we all we had
a good group of guys that work out with a
(15:19):
lot of guys that played in Pittsburgh were trained in
the same group. But it was just yeah, you know
now and now especially really nowadays, it's it's you know,
it's a twelve months you're going to you know, there's
no breaks, there's no nothing. You just keep going. But
it's a great life. You know, what else would you
rather be doing than playing hockey. There's nothing better than
(15:39):
you know, getting in that locker room with four coaches
and twenty players and shutting the door and trying to
figure out how to beat the Rangers or beat the Flyers.
You know, that's that's a pretty good life when you
get to that point there, you know, and.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
Kevin that I now that I have you on the show,
I got to ask you, do you do you still
think that do you think the popularity of hockey in
this country is down or is it getting better?
Speaker 1 (16:03):
I mean, you know, compared to football and baseball.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
Yeah, yeah, I think it's getting better. And it's never
gonna be that sports as you know, they're gonna put
on people in Oklahoma, Tennessee. You're not. You're not gonna
throw a hockey game out in the middle of Saturday afternoon,
you know, when it's college football and all this other
stuff going on. But but for the for the fans,
for the true fan that loves hockey, and like you know,
the people that know hockey and they love it. It's
(16:27):
a great sport and it's it's you know, it's just
one of those sports that you know, it's a lot
of action and you know, it's just it really is
something that the people, you know, people people why you know,
the ratings, you know, you compare the ratings of the
football and in the basketball and baseball to the hockey.
It's not the same. But it's the people that love
hockey love it. And we got great you know, Pittsburgh
(16:49):
was a great place to play. We had great fans there.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
And you know, Kevin. I don't know if you realized
is Bleacher Report. They put out a list of the
top fifteen best power for wards of all time.
Speaker 1 (17:01):
Top top fifteen.
Speaker 2 (17:03):
I mean this is a list that includes the great
Gordy how Gordi, how Lyndros Messier. They have you ranked
number fourteen. I mean that says a lot.
Speaker 3 (17:14):
Yeah, you know, that's nice to me in those things.
I guess it's I don't know, hope put them all together.
But yeah, like as a powerful I played like when
you get to play with a little view and Ronnie
Francis is the center and Johnny Collen I played with
great center man and I was able to get the
nets and we you know, and score some goals. But
(17:35):
it was, you know, it's really about winning and the
teams we put together it makes it a lot easier.
And we got guys that you know, want to win
and we'll win in and you got to pull the
rope from there. But it was, yeah, we had some
great because those are great years for us.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
Yeah, I mean I'm looking at this list. Kevin Stevens
number four no longer be a recorded.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
Uh, Kevin Stevens number fourteen, and then the fifty seen
as Lyndro, So you actually outbeat Lyndro this feature reports. So,
so I have a few minutes left with you. Your
induction into the United States of America Hockey Hall of Fame.
How important is that to you?
Speaker 3 (18:16):
Yeah? Yeah, that was great. It was something that happened
last year. They did it in Pittsburgh, which even made
that much better, and we had a good ceremony there
and it was it was a lot of fun. Those
those are things that happened later in your life that
you kind of look back on and you know, it's
pretty cool. It's pretty cool stuff and you can get
get intucked into that stuff and be part of it
(18:38):
with a lot of guys that I know that I
played hockey with, with the USA programs and stuff like that.
So yeah, that was that was It was always nice
when those things come along. But yeah, we've just spent
it's spent a lot of fun. The last you know.
I still work with the Penguins, so I'm still involved
to hockey every day and keeps you involved with it.
Speaker 1 (19:01):
Okay, so you still work for the Penguins, So what
do you do for that?
Speaker 3 (19:06):
I do mostly like scouting free agents stuff. I do
a lot of college college free agents and stuff and
going around and seeing the different colleges to try to
find out who's a lot of the kids are drafted,
but we're looking for guys that I drafted, maybe developed
a little later that might be able to you know,
slide in and play some some games in the NHL.
(19:26):
Just you never know. Some guys develop a little bit later,
they don't get drafted, you know, at the eighteen, at
the age where they get drafted in AHL and they
fled by the draft, and sometimes you can find someone.
But it's yeah, it's fun to be involved. I love
the Penguins, depending on it, that's the team I want
to see win. So I like working for the team
that I want to see too well, you know.
Speaker 2 (19:47):
Yeah, And I got to ask you because I'm from
New York. You also played a brief stint with the Rangers.
Did you like playing in U York?
Speaker 3 (19:54):
Yeah? I did. I did like playing in New York.
I played there when when Gretzky was there and finally
and Mike Richter and Brenda was there. Yeah, we had
a good we had a good team to there and
it was you know, it's just it's it's so hard
to win anything like when you when you when they
really say you you know, if you get in the playoffs,
you got a shot, because it doesn't matter once or
(20:16):
sixteen you've seen, you've seen little seeds always wanted to stay.
Like hockey is one of those sports that really means it.
If you get in the playoffs, you got a shot,
you know, and uh, we all seen it, we all
seen it, and it's just it's a very competitive, like
sixteen teams. It's really hockey. Hockey is a sport that
you know, once that playoffs, it's pretty good.
Speaker 2 (20:37):
And Kevin, you know I forgot about that. Gretzky was
on the Rangers team, right, you were.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
The team with Yeah, I played with Gretzky. I played
I played with the two best center but maybe the
best players that ever played with gretzl mew Right. So
I played three years and I played for Mario almost say,
I think eighty nine. So you know, but it's I've
been like, yeah, I played with some, I played some
played with Yeah, I played with I played a lot
(21:03):
of good players, you know.
Speaker 1 (21:06):
I mean, would you say Gretzky was the greatest player
that you ever witnessed? Greatest players?
Speaker 3 (21:12):
I know it's you know, Tim, uh, Tim and Mario.
Mario was great too. Maria was you know, was banged
up a little bit more than pret you know, and
played in flight in many games. But Gill why Maria
was six six six five whatever. He was strong and skates,
you know, tied to size and speed. Gretz was so
(21:33):
smooth and was you know, the heady like you knows.
His thinking in passing was amazing. But I you know,
the two two of the top top players that ever played.
I was like, you have to play with both of them?
Speaker 1 (21:45):
Unbelievable.
Speaker 2 (21:46):
And you know, finally, I know you're doing appearances. I
know you did a couple of sports memorabilia appearances.
Speaker 1 (21:53):
When's your next upcoming event?
Speaker 3 (21:56):
I think I have I think I had with like
November thirty, which is going to be in Long Island,
and I think I got one in Toronto maybe and
I don't know when that one is maybe maybe November
December too, So for a couple, I know the one
in Long Island's end of November. I'm not sure about
the Toronto and so we'll see.
Speaker 1 (22:13):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (22:13):
You know, Kevin, this sports memorabilia craze, it's it's huge
and there's a lot of money involved. You know, all
these uniforms, And do you still own your uniforms?
Speaker 3 (22:24):
I don't. I don't. I don't. Really I should have
plucked it a little more stuff than that I've got.
I've got stuff from my I got stuff from my
younger kids, you know, when they were you know, I
got sticks from Gratzky and Mario signed to them, you
know that stuff like that. But I don't. I don't
fuck stuff myself where I have, like you know, I
memor various stuff. Now I don't do that. I wish
I did. I should have done it a long time ago.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
And isn't it amazing? I mean, you know, the fancy
won your autograph.
Speaker 3 (22:52):
Yeah, it's crazy people like you know it's it's yeah.
I think it's got crazier as times, you know, even
like you know, I've been out of the game of
long time, you still get a lot of panuela people
want of stuff signed. It's kind of crazy. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (23:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
And you know, before I let you go, I got
to mention some of your your totals here. Your career
totals NHL career UH seven hundred and twenty six points
three hundred and twenty nine goals, three hundred and ninety
seven assists in eight hundred and seventy four regular season
games one hundred and three playoff contests. You represented the
(23:26):
international stage on four occasions like you, Like we mentioned
Olympic men's ice hockey team. I mean that's some that's
some resume. I mean, definitely Hall of Famer.
Speaker 1 (23:38):
Any regrets, any regrets if you think back of your past, anything.
Speaker 3 (23:44):
That you obviously I had to make that decision in
New York City because they that much then led to
a tiction of other stuff, and you know, that's that's
probably the one regret that you know, obviously that was
what's never happened. But now life goes on and here
we are and you know, we living data time and
(24:04):
it's been great. But it's yeah, it's been it's been
a different, you know experience in my career is you know,
I had seven really good years and I kind of
hit that addiction time and I had seven years that
were tough. So it was but today life's good and
you know, just trying to move forward, like I said,
with that foundation Power Forward twenty five and taking a
(24:25):
data time and see what happens and go from there.
Speaker 1 (24:29):
Kevin, thanks so much for a few minutes. I really
appreciate it, right, I appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (24:33):
Thanks for having me on, but take care.
Speaker 2 (24:35):
Of UH Kevin Stevens, Penguins Legend and the website. Everyone listening.
Let me let me mention it again power forward twenty
five dot com. Check it out to make your donations now.
Kevin Stevens, UH, former NHL great until next week. Happy
collecting tool, some copping s
Card King here right come.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
Hello, sports fan, sports collectors and all hobbyists. Welcome to
The Car King Sports and Variety Show. I am your host,
the Catman, Brian Cadaquin aka the car King. We are
live on ABC's k m e T fourteen ninety a
m dot com. You're number one spot right here for
news and talk on the West Coast. I thank everyone
for tuning in this morning on the telephone line. I
(00:36):
welcome to the program. A former NHL two time Stanley
Cup champion, He's a three time NHL All Star and
an Olympian, played primarily for the Pittsburgh Penguins as well
as the Bruins and other teams. I welcome in left
Wing Kevin Stevens.
Speaker 1 (00:52):
Kevin. Great to have you.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Hi, Bye all, good to be here. Thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
My pleasure. What and honor so Kevin.
Speaker 2 (01:00):
Before I delve into your career, your Hall of Fame career, Uh,
let's talk a little bit about what you're doing these
days and your website, Power Forward twenty five, give us
all the information.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
Yeah, the Power Forward twenty five is our foundation that
my sister and I started about five or six years ago.
And what we do is we try to help people.
You know, well, I always felt like when you went
into treatment, when you finished achieving, where would you go.
So what we do is we we we give people
scholarships for four to six weeks, so when they get
(01:34):
out of treatment, give them that, give them that opportunity
to go live in a sober house over here in Massachusetts,
and you know, given the ability to kind of kind
of be around guys and trying to doubt that are
trying to do the same thing they're doing and in
further their life. So we've we've given a lot of scholarships.
It's been great. It's been something that we really, uh
(01:55):
take pride in and it has its seems to be
working well. And we just kind like dow the other night,
so we had a big, a big fundraiser, so everything's
going well. It was just kind of push forward, but
it's yeah, it's been great.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Hey, Kevin, you know I read a lot about your
career before this interview, and you know it's noted publicly.
Speaker 1 (02:17):
You know, you had an uphill battle with addiction.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Yeah, thankful, but thankfully you know you overcame it and
you're graciously giving back to the community with your organization.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
Now, when did the addiction start? Now? Did it start
in your late twenties?
Speaker 3 (02:33):
Yeah, yeah, I was. I was kind of one of
a later bloomer type of thing or the addiction. I
was twenty eight years old, you know, we just want
to Stanley Cops who were playing was on for our
third Stanley Cup and I made twenty I was twenty.
Like I said, I was twenty eight years old. I
made like a twenty second decision. One night in New York.
Someone handed me something and now I know it was
(02:55):
cocaine and I tried it. And then from there, from
that decision off and the next twenty four years, my
life kind of changed. It didn't change like that night,
but it changed the path of my my life. You know,
I had no idea I had that addictive gene or
whatever they say that you have, and now I activated
something that that that took me down. The path was tough,
(03:15):
and then like I said, I got sober then you know,
then then with the foundation and to help people. So
that's that's the main thing right now. It's just been great.
I still work, like I still work in hockey with
the Penguins, but for that foundation is something my sister
and I am proud of and you know, we're helping
a lot of people, so hopefully we can keep doing that.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Yeah, you know, just for my knowledge because I'm curious.
I know it's a soft spot. I don't know if
if if you want to continue talking about this addiction habit.
Speaker 3 (03:46):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (03:47):
Now do you feel that some people just have the
gene for addiction?
Speaker 3 (03:53):
Yeah, I think I think they do. I think it's
I think you have it, you don't have it. I
think with me, you know, I had that team. I know,
like I said, I never did a dunk till at
twenty eight years old. I never try anything. So I
and I think that's the biggest thing about our website too,
or that is power Forward twenty five is is that
is that we want to be awareen it. I speak
(04:14):
to a lot of schools and a lot of different people,
but we need to we need to get it out
there that you can't even you know, you can't even try.
It's it's about it's not not not not having the
ability to even do this, you know, for you don't
put yourself in situations where you're around this stuff. And
it's it's important because it's you can't you can't play
around with this stuff. Now it's life or death. And
(04:36):
I know that I've seen a lot of people that,
you know, they went out one night and thinking that
they're going to wake up the next morning. They don't,
you know, because it's the thing, the feedanls and everything,
and it's just you just got to be careful, you know.
And I think, I think the more we can get
out there and talk about it and spread the word
that you know, this this is a serious, serious thing
in in our world, so you know, hopefully we can
(04:58):
just put a small attent in it and help.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
Yeah and did you try alcohol.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
Or was it just primarily Yeah, Yeah, alcohol was never
a problem like it was you know, I drank some
college and stuff like that. It's like it's like other
people do. But but when I when I tried the
cocaine kind of switched something into my brain. I don't,
you know. And I had no idea back then what
addiction was. It didn't didn't think I was going to
(05:27):
progress into an an addict, you know. I thought, you know,
I thought I'd just jump on the bus the next
day and things would be the same. But it's just
took me in a different way. And hit me in
a different way. And you know, then then I had
to go through the process against sober and I did
that and then not here I am today. But still
it's it's it's about awareness and it's about you know,
(05:48):
us talking about it and get it out there. So
like you know, people, people don't even try it because
I had no idea I had this, I had this
addictive gene in my body, or I had this you know,
whatever they say it is, I have no clue I
had this in my body.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
And the website for everyone listening is powerforward twenty five
dot com.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
Right, yeah, yeah, file Forward twenty five dot com.
Speaker 2 (06:12):
And I'm seeing that people can also make a donation, right,
they can also make it.
Speaker 3 (06:18):
Yeah, yeah, you can make a donation on there. You
can check out what we do and how we're doing it,
and everything's right there. But it's yeah, it's been. It's
been something that's yeah, We've been working with for six
or seven years now. So it's around my sister, and
my sister does a great job running the show. Whether
it I just to show up and do the best
I can too excellent.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
So what I'm gonna do after the show, I'm gonna
I'm gonna make my donation, so you know, I really
appreciate the work of doing Kevin.
Speaker 1 (06:47):
Uh So, let's let my pleasure.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
So nineteen eighty three a big year for you, drafted
by the NHL. If you go back to that time
period in your life, how did you first find out
the NHL was going to draft you?
Speaker 1 (07:03):
What were you doing that that special day?
Speaker 3 (07:07):
You know when I when when I when I got drafted,
it wasn't really a big deal like that wasn't like
you know, it wasn't like it is now how they
build it all up and they have the first round
on Friday night everything else. On Saturday, I got drafted.
I got a call and then my sisters actually called
me to and said that, you know, I heard you
got drafted. I was playing baseball. It was I think
it was the summertime. And then you know, I wasn't
(07:28):
really I wasn't really It wasn't in a day that
I sat there and time, wow, I'm gonna get drafted.
It wasn't like that back tin, And we didn't not
we did anticipate any of those things. It was just
kind of happened. And you know, Pittsburgh drafted me, and
I was kind of like, you know, it was great
and everything, but I never really thought that I get
to the point where I got to, you know.
Speaker 1 (07:47):
And you know what's amazing Kevin is that you know
everyone knows NHL is so big in Canada. Uh, you know,
for an.
Speaker 2 (07:53):
American player to achieve what you achieved, which is in
the record books.
Speaker 1 (07:59):
What did you specifically to hockey?
Speaker 3 (08:03):
Yeah, I was one of those guys that played everything.
I played hockey, football, in baseball, and a little bit
of basketball. So I played all sports and then I
kind of just I got a scholarship to go to
Boxton College to play hockey. I actually I liked baseball
a little a little bit more than I like I
wonder to the you know, wanted to play baseball. But
but when I got the hockey scholarships to Boxton College,
(08:25):
it was I think I was a junior in high
school and you know, I always my sister went to BC,
so it was like, you know, I I love Boxton
College and I loved you know, the hockey program has
always been great. So I got a scholarship to go there.
So that kind of thinking that I might play baseball,
like when when the hockey season was over my freshman year,
but it was they were like five or ten games
(08:45):
into the season. It was everything just kind of didn't
work out the way. So I just stuck with hockey
and from there, you know, obviously things worked out pretty good.
Speaker 2 (08:54):
And we're talking with Hockey USA Hall of Famer Kevin Stevens,
who's with us this morning. Kevin nineteen eighty three. As
I mentioned, NHL draft comes along. You drafted sixth round
first by the Kings, and then you.
Speaker 1 (09:06):
Were off to Pittsburgh. That's how it happened, right.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
Yeah, yeah, I got traded. I got drafted by the Kings,
and then I got traded the Pittsburgh which you know,
Eddie Johnson was a GM there and tell us he
made a trade like so he was to get me
to Pittsburgh and that worked out great obviously coming in there.
You know, like I said, I wasn't sure when I
(09:29):
first got drafted what, you know, where, where was this
was going to go or anything like that, But you know,
so I just worked her in college. I played with
great teammates there and then I was able to go
win the Pittsburgh After the Olympics, I played the Olympics
in nineteen eighty eight, and after that I went into Pittsburgh.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
Oh yeah, so talk a little bit about the Olympics.
How did you get chosen to be in the Olympics
in eighty eight?
Speaker 3 (09:52):
Yeah, you know that Olympic programing. Uh, we had a
couple of college tournaments in eighty seven. There still was amateurs,
so then when not like now it's the pro guys,
but back then it was still amateurs in eighty eight.
So you know, with the Olympics in nineteen eighty, everybody
wanted to play on the Olympic team and that was
that was quite an honor. Like I played in some
(10:13):
tournaments the year before for the US program. We went
to Russia with the team to stop so I was
able to play well enough to to make the Olympic
team and then you go train with them. We started
training in August and the Olympics started in February, so
we trained together. We trained the seventy eight months together
as a team and had a good team running over there.
(10:33):
But we're still playing against the troller, you know, the
Russians were still a pro teams there, so it was
but it was a lot of fun and.
Speaker 2 (10:39):
Over the Calgary Yeah, and I'm just going through these
chronology chronologically here. Less than a week after you competed
at the Olympics, you go on and debut your first
NHL game March first, nineteen eighty eight. That first debut game,
what do you recall most about that game?
Speaker 1 (10:57):
Were you nervous?
Speaker 3 (11:00):
I was? You know, I was one of those nights
where you know, you think you're ready. You always think
you're ready, and you're confidence you can go in there
and play well. But it was you know, those those
those are big steps. You know, they're playing the NHL
and there's so much same you know from college hockey,
from the Olympics was big in the Olympics to the
trow game, which is you know, so much big because
(11:20):
of you know, just the consistency you got to play
with to be a pro. You got to be show
up every night and they play play the way it's
supposed don't play hard, and you know that's that's something
you kind of learn as you go. But I think,
you know, I was. It was great to get there,
and Pittsburgh was a great spot. They were kind of
we were kind of rebuilding at that time, so we
(11:41):
had a lot of new guys coming in and it
was a really good bunch of guys.
Speaker 2 (11:46):
I mean, and also, you know the early nineties, Uh,
the Pittsburgh Penguins. I mean you you're talking about a
team that had great players. I mean you had Lemieux, Barasso,
Paul Coffee.
Speaker 3 (11:58):
Yeah, we are Lord, we are low the player Joga
was there, Yeah, yeah, Troi was there. Joey Mullen and
Ronnie Francis came in, you know, Alf Samuelson and Shelton,
and we had Tommy Brost. Like I said, we had
we know, we had we had a really good team
for a couple of years there. Like the team we
went we won two in a row ninety one, ninety two,
(12:19):
and ninety three was by far our best team. We
got beat that was the year we got beat by
the Islands in overtime. But that was you know, we had.
We had stretched there three or four years. We were
we had a real strong team.
Speaker 2 (12:32):
Hey, Kevin, I mean playing alongside lem you like you
mentioned Jogga and Troci, I mean, did these guys take
you in? How are they as teammates?
Speaker 1 (12:43):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (12:43):
They were were a great bunch of guys. They're better, better, better,
teammates than players. You know, these guys were awesome, awesome
to deal with every day. And we had a great
group of guys. Frank Patrick was that team. He put
together a great team and we were able to accomplish
whenever you can win, like it's just how you know,
everybody knows it's really hard to win that Stanley Cups.
(13:05):
You gotta get a great goal ten and everybody's gonna
stay healthy, and you know, you gotta have enough depth
so when you do have guys go down there, guys
except in and we had we had all the all
the ingredients to win the Stanley Cups. And we had
you know, great best in the leadership and young guys
pushing from one side. So yeah, we that team was
well built. We had a great bunch of guys, and
(13:27):
you know we had a good run there. You know,
we probably should have won three, but we won the
two there.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
And you know this is worth noting because I looked
this up and this is all over the internet. I mean,
two notable NHL seasons which is still discussed about that
nineteen nineties era in the NHL is the when you
outscored Wayne Gretzky with goals I mean the ninety one
ninety two season, you scored like fifty four goals with
(13:53):
one hundred and twenty three points.
Speaker 1 (13:55):
I mean, so you did it pretty quickly. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (13:59):
Yeah, I had a couple of big years there, but
I was you know, basically, I played with great I
played with Johnny Collen that first year. I played with
Johnny Collen and Mark Wrecky and and then you know
obviously in the power play with Mario and stuff, and
but it was, you know, we just had we had
a good mix of players. We were great defenseman. We
(14:21):
you know, we were learning how to win, and some
of the veteran guys to help with that. So it
was just it was a great mix you put together.
And you know, we went on a little run there,
and like I said, I thought we should we should
have three, but two was good.
Speaker 2 (14:34):
Hey hey, Kevin, you know another interesting thing about about
you is that you know you're you're a tall guy.
But you know, your peers they all say the same thing.
I mean, what did you six three six four? I
mean you had such you had such speed on the ice. Uh,
how did you keep.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
In shape during those times? I mean did you work out?
What was your workout? Regimen.
Speaker 3 (14:58):
Yeah, we worked out hard. Spent most of my summers
in LA working out with TIERR. Goodman out there in LA.
We had we have probably twenty or thirty guys that
worked out out in LA for like eight weeks, you know.
Then when I came back to Boston and skating and
then went to Pittsburgh, so it was it was, yeah,
it was a good you know, we all we had
a good group of guys that work out with a
(15:19):
lot of guys that played in Pittsburgh were trained in
the same group. But it was just yeah, you know
now and now especially really nowadays, it's it's you know,
it's a twelve months you're going to you know, there's
no breaks, there's no nothing. You just keep going. But
it's a great life. You know, what else would you
rather be doing than playing hockey. There's nothing better than
(15:39):
you know, getting in that locker room with four coaches
and twenty players and shutting the door and trying to
figure out how to beat the Rangers or beat the Flyers.
You know, that's that's a pretty good life when you
get to that point there, you know, and.
Speaker 2 (15:52):
Kevin that I now that I have you on the show,
I got to ask you, do you do you still
think that do you think the popularity of hockey in
this country is down or is it getting better?
Speaker 1 (16:03):
I mean, you know, compared to football and baseball.
Speaker 3 (16:06):
Yeah, yeah, I think it's getting better. And it's never
gonna be that sports as you know, they're gonna put
on people in Oklahoma, Tennessee. You're not. You're not gonna
throw a hockey game out in the middle of Saturday afternoon,
you know, when it's college football and all this other
stuff going on. But but for the for the fans,
for the true fan that loves hockey, and like you know,
the people that know hockey and they love it. It's
(16:27):
a great sport and it's it's you know, it's just
one of those sports that you know, it's a lot
of action and you know, it's just it really is
something that the people, you know, people people why you know,
the ratings, you know, you compare the ratings of the
football and in the basketball and baseball to the hockey.
It's not the same. But it's the people that love
hockey love it. And we got great you know, Pittsburgh
(16:49):
was a great place to play. We had great fans there.
Speaker 2 (16:53):
And you know, Kevin. I don't know if you realized
is Bleacher Report. They put out a list of the
top fifteen best power for wards of all time.
Speaker 1 (17:01):
Top top fifteen.
Speaker 2 (17:03):
I mean this is a list that includes the great
Gordy how Gordi, how Lyndros Messier. They have you ranked
number fourteen. I mean that says a lot.
Speaker 3 (17:14):
Yeah, you know, that's nice to me in those things.
I guess it's I don't know, hope put them all together.
But yeah, like as a powerful I played like when
you get to play with a little view and Ronnie
Francis is the center and Johnny Collen I played with
great center man and I was able to get the
nets and we you know, and score some goals. But
(17:35):
it was, you know, it's really about winning and the
teams we put together it makes it a lot easier.
And we got guys that you know, want to win
and we'll win in and you got to pull the
rope from there. But it was, yeah, we had some
great because those are great years for us.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
Yeah, I mean I'm looking at this list. Kevin Stevens
number four no longer be a recorded.
Speaker 2 (17:56):
Uh, Kevin Stevens number fourteen, and then the fifty seen
as Lyndro, So you actually outbeat Lyndro this feature reports. So,
so I have a few minutes left with you. Your
induction into the United States of America Hockey Hall of Fame.
How important is that to you?
Speaker 3 (18:16):
Yeah? Yeah, that was great. It was something that happened
last year. They did it in Pittsburgh, which even made
that much better, and we had a good ceremony there
and it was it was a lot of fun. Those
those are things that happened later in your life that
you kind of look back on and you know, it's
pretty cool. It's pretty cool stuff and you can get
get intucked into that stuff and be part of it
(18:38):
with a lot of guys that I know that I
played hockey with, with the USA programs and stuff like that.
So yeah, that was that was It was always nice
when those things come along. But yeah, we've just spent
it's spent a lot of fun. The last you know.
I still work with the Penguins, so I'm still involved
to hockey every day and keeps you involved with it.
Speaker 1 (19:01):
Okay, so you still work for the Penguins, So what
do you do for that?
Speaker 3 (19:06):
I do mostly like scouting free agents stuff. I do
a lot of college college free agents and stuff and
going around and seeing the different colleges to try to
find out who's a lot of the kids are drafted,
but we're looking for guys that I drafted, maybe developed
a little later that might be able to you know,
slide in and play some some games in the NHL.
(19:26):
Just you never know. Some guys develop a little bit later,
they don't get drafted, you know, at the eighteen, at
the age where they get drafted in AHL and they
fled by the draft, and sometimes you can find someone.
But it's yeah, it's fun to be involved. I love
the Penguins, depending on it, that's the team I want
to see win. So I like working for the team
that I want to see too well, you know.
Speaker 2 (19:47):
Yeah, And I got to ask you because I'm from
New York. You also played a brief stint with the Rangers.
Did you like playing in U York?
Speaker 3 (19:54):
Yeah? I did. I did like playing in New York.
I played there when when Gretzky was there and finally
and Mike Richter and Brenda was there. Yeah, we had
a good we had a good team to there and
it was you know, it's just it's it's so hard
to win anything like when you when you when they
really say you you know, if you get in the playoffs,
you got a shot, because it doesn't matter once or
(20:16):
sixteen you've seen, you've seen little seeds always wanted to stay.
Like hockey is one of those sports that really means it.
If you get in the playoffs, you got a shot,
you know, and uh, we all seen it, we all
seen it, and it's just it's a very competitive, like
sixteen teams. It's really hockey. Hockey is a sport that
you know, once that playoffs, it's pretty good.
Speaker 2 (20:37):
And Kevin, you know I forgot about that. Gretzky was
on the Rangers team, right, you were.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
The team with Yeah, I played with Gretzky. I played
I played with the two best center but maybe the
best players that ever played with gretzl mew Right. So
I played three years and I played for Mario almost say,
I think eighty nine. So you know, but it's I've
been like, yeah, I played with some, I played some
played with Yeah, I played with I played a lot
(21:03):
of good players, you know.
Speaker 1 (21:06):
I mean, would you say Gretzky was the greatest player
that you ever witnessed? Greatest players?
Speaker 3 (21:12):
I know it's you know, Tim, uh, Tim and Mario.
Mario was great too. Maria was you know, was banged
up a little bit more than pret you know, and
played in flight in many games. But Gill why Maria
was six six six five whatever. He was strong and skates,
you know, tied to size and speed. Gretz was so
(21:33):
smooth and was you know, the heady like you knows.
His thinking in passing was amazing. But I you know,
the two two of the top top players that ever played.
I was like, you have to play with both of them?
Speaker 1 (21:45):
Unbelievable.
Speaker 2 (21:46):
And you know, finally, I know you're doing appearances. I
know you did a couple of sports memorabilia appearances.
Speaker 1 (21:53):
When's your next upcoming event?
Speaker 3 (21:56):
I think I have I think I had with like
November thirty, which is going to be in Long Island,
and I think I got one in Toronto maybe and
I don't know when that one is maybe maybe November
December too, So for a couple, I know the one
in Long Island's end of November. I'm not sure about
the Toronto and so we'll see.
Speaker 1 (22:13):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (22:13):
You know, Kevin, this sports memorabilia craze, it's it's huge
and there's a lot of money involved. You know, all
these uniforms, And do you still own your uniforms?
Speaker 3 (22:24):
I don't. I don't. I don't. Really I should have
plucked it a little more stuff than that I've got.
I've got stuff from my I got stuff from my
younger kids, you know, when they were you know, I
got sticks from Gratzky and Mario signed to them, you
know that stuff like that. But I don't. I don't
fuck stuff myself where I have, like you know, I
memor various stuff. Now I don't do that. I wish
I did. I should have done it a long time ago.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
And isn't it amazing? I mean, you know, the fancy
won your autograph.
Speaker 3 (22:52):
Yeah, it's crazy people like you know it's it's yeah.
I think it's got crazier as times, you know, even
like you know, I've been out of the game of
long time, you still get a lot of panuela people
want of stuff signed. It's kind of crazy. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (23:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
And you know, before I let you go, I got
to mention some of your your totals here. Your career
totals NHL career UH seven hundred and twenty six points
three hundred and twenty nine goals, three hundred and ninety
seven assists in eight hundred and seventy four regular season
games one hundred and three playoff contests. You represented the
(23:26):
international stage on four occasions like you, Like we mentioned
Olympic men's ice hockey team. I mean that's some that's
some resume. I mean, definitely Hall of Famer.
Speaker 1 (23:38):
Any regrets, any regrets if you think back of your past, anything.
Speaker 3 (23:44):
That you obviously I had to make that decision in
New York City because they that much then led to
a tiction of other stuff, and you know, that's that's
probably the one regret that you know, obviously that was
what's never happened. But now life goes on and here
we are and you know, we living data time and
(24:04):
it's been great. But it's yeah, it's been it's been
a different, you know experience in my career is you know,
I had seven really good years and I kind of
hit that addiction time and I had seven years that
were tough. So it was but today life's good and
you know, just trying to move forward, like I said,
with that foundation Power Forward twenty five and taking a
(24:25):
data time and see what happens and go from there.
Speaker 1 (24:29):
Kevin, thanks so much for a few minutes. I really
appreciate it, right, I appreciate it.
Speaker 3 (24:33):
Thanks for having me on, but take care.
Speaker 2 (24:35):
Of UH Kevin Stevens, Penguins Legend and the website. Everyone listening.
Let me let me mention it again power forward twenty
five dot com. Check it out to make your donations now.
Kevin Stevens, UH, former NHL great until next week. Happy
collecting tool, some copping s
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