Unthinkable
02-13-2004, 03:19 PM
http://images.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/_photos/2004-02-13-stevens-tough-in.jpg
<table class="sidebar" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tbody><tr><td class="sidebar" width="75" valign="top">New Jersey's Scott Stevens is known for throwing his weight around the NHL as shown in this check of Atlanta's Serge Aubin last December. </td> <td rowspan="2">http://images.usatoday.com/_common/_images/clear.gif</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" valign="bottom">By Gregory Smith, AP</td></tr></tbody> </table>
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/2004-02-12-stevens-toughest_x.htm
Tough guy Stevens has it together By Kevin Allen, USA TODAY
When it was revealed recently that New Jersey Devils defenseman Scott Stevens had post-concussion syndrome, the prevailing wisdom was to wonder who had discovered the Kryptonite.
While Stevens might not quite be Superman, he has helped set the standard for indestructibility over his 22 NHL seasons. (Related item: More NHL tough guys (http://www.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/2004-02-12-stevens-toughest_x.htm#tough))
Stevens has played 94% of his team's games during his career — more remarkable given he has always played as if he were Ray Lewis on skates. He's generally regarded as the NHL's hardest-hitting, most proficient body-checker.
"You can't envision a more perfect player to draft on to your franchise than Scott Stevens," says Nashville Predators general manager David Poile, who was general manager in Washington when Stevens came up with the Capitals as an 18-year-old. "When you consider the position he plays, the minutes he logs and his durability, his combination of talents is unmatched by anyone who has played in the past 20 years."
His durability might have hurt Stevens in this latest injury because he never considered he had post-concussion syndrome. "It was a problem," says Stevens, who is feeling better but doesn't know when he'll return. "They say the physical part is the last to show, and I was so used to just playing through everything."
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<table class="sidebar" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> <tbody><tr><td class="sidebar" width="75" valign="top">New Jersey's Scott Stevens is known for throwing his weight around the NHL as shown in this check of Atlanta's Serge Aubin last December. </td> <td rowspan="2">http://images.usatoday.com/_common/_images/clear.gif</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="left" valign="bottom">By Gregory Smith, AP</td></tr></tbody> </table>
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/2004-02-12-stevens-toughest_x.htm
Tough guy Stevens has it together By Kevin Allen, USA TODAY
When it was revealed recently that New Jersey Devils defenseman Scott Stevens had post-concussion syndrome, the prevailing wisdom was to wonder who had discovered the Kryptonite.
While Stevens might not quite be Superman, he has helped set the standard for indestructibility over his 22 NHL seasons. (Related item: More NHL tough guys (http://www.usatoday.com/sports/hockey/2004-02-12-stevens-toughest_x.htm#tough))
Stevens has played 94% of his team's games during his career — more remarkable given he has always played as if he were Ray Lewis on skates. He's generally regarded as the NHL's hardest-hitting, most proficient body-checker.
"You can't envision a more perfect player to draft on to your franchise than Scott Stevens," says Nashville Predators general manager David Poile, who was general manager in Washington when Stevens came up with the Capitals as an 18-year-old. "When you consider the position he plays, the minutes he logs and his durability, his combination of talents is unmatched by anyone who has played in the past 20 years."
His durability might have hurt Stevens in this latest injury because he never considered he had post-concussion syndrome. "It was a problem," says Stevens, who is feeling better but doesn't know when he'll return. "They say the physical part is the last to show, and I was so used to just playing through everything."
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