The reaction was jarring, a two-time Stanley Cup champion returning to the city where he was beloved and being greeted with consternation and even contempt. But maybe that’s why the Penguins decided to bring Kevin Stevens back to Pittsburgh and back to their organization in the first place. They knew he had a horrific story about addiction to tell, one that would offend many but maybe, just maybe, help a lot of kids.
“I think it was pretty impactful on the young guys. They were all listening,” former Stevens teammate Mark Recchi told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Jason Mackey of Stevens’ work late last month at Penguins development camp.