Is there one player you remember watching growing up and saying, "I really hate that guy"? Or a team that always seems to stop yours from achieving great things? Well, this week that's what we're talking about. Over the next few days, we'll discuss and reminisce about some of the easiest guys and groups to dislike when they faced the Carolina Hurricanes over the last 30 years.
Today, we're starting with a bang by pontificating about one of the earliest targets of the Caniacs' ire. One of the first antagonists of the Hurricanes' early days was longtime New Jersey Devils captain Scott Stevens. There's a reason he was affectionately nicknamed "Captain Crunch," known for laying some of the most violent open-ice hits in NHL history.
The Hall of Famer never won the Norris Trophy, which feels like a slight oversight on someone's part, but he was always in the hunt. Stevens ranked in the Top 6 of Norris Trophy voting ten times, coming as close as second place in 1988 and 1994. He's also a three-time Stanley Cup champion and a Conn Smythe winner in 2000. Looking to repeat in 2001, the Hurricanes were directly in his path.
Stevens was a menace during the 2001 playoffs
The Eastern Conference Quarterfinals matchup between the Devils and the Hurricanes was very one-sided in New Jersey's favor. No small part of that was thanks to their captain. Stevens was hitting just about everything in his path. After routing the Hurricanes, 5-1, to open the series, the Devils were on their way to a 2-0 win and series lead in Game 2. Stevens took his pound of flesh with him.
With less than 20 seconds left to play in the contest, Shane Willis was trying to control the puck as he entered the offensive zone. He was unaware of the freight train on the same track as him. Stevens laid him out cleanly, and the rookie lay motionless for a moment. He was not assessed a penalty, with only Rod Brind'Amour getting two minutes for cross-checking Stevens in retaliation.
The hit knocked Willis out of the series for good, but it's not the only time Stevens did that in the series. Just over three minutes into Game 3, the first game of the series in Raleigh, the captains collided. Stevens pummeled Ron Francis, who tried his best but failed to get to the bench by himself. He was done for the series as well, taking two massive offensive weapons away from the Hurricanes.
New Jersey won Game 3, 4-0, taking a commanding 3-0 lead. The Canes kept their season alive on Brind'Amour's overtime winner in Game 4 and with a 3-2 win on the road in Game 5, but the Devils finished the job in six. Hit totals aren't available for this series, but Stevens was certain to be up there, especially with two season-ending offerings. He only had two assists offensively.
The Hurricanes lived and learned in 2002, getting the last laugh
New Jersey fell one win short of repeating as champions in 2001, losing in seven games to the Colorado Avalanche in a series famous for Ray Bourque finally lifting the Stanley Cup. Still, the Devils were the class of the Eastern Conference, and they were looking to three-peat in 2002, despite a lackluster regular season by their standards.
Once again, their path to repeating began with the Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. This time, the Canes were ready for the fight. The series was back and forth, with each side winning both games on home ice to start. One thing that was being repressed, though, was Stevens' ability to land a knockout blow.
That's not to say Stevens was physically absent. He laid 20 hits in the series, including six each in Games 2 and 3, an overtime win for Carolina and a shutout win for New Jersey, respectively. However, he didn't do anything offensively, finishing without a point and failing to change the momentum with his checking. It, along with Kevin Weekes, is why the Canes won the series in six games.
Stevens was right back to his dominating ways during the 2003 playoffs. One of the most famous hits of his career came against the Ducks in the Stanley Cup Final, though it's largely known for the response from its recipient. Paul Kariya was absolutely rocked, seemingly out cold, but he returned to the game, scored a goal, and prompted one of the greatest hockey calls ever from Gary Thorne.
While it doesn't live at the forefront of most Caniacs' minds, there was a time when Scott Stevens was one of the most feared and hated men in the league. He garnered that reputation fairly. Still, he's not the first name you think of when talking about villains in Hurricanes history. I'd argue that he certainly should be. He did a number on the Canes in 2001. That won't be forgotten.
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