The Washington Capitals entered that 1982-83 season with some defensemen hurt, which opened up a chance for the then 18-year old Scott Stevens to make the team right out of training camp. Stevens was a physical defenseman that packed an offensive punch and he did exactly that on his first shift at his first to show the NHL world his arrival.
Stevens scored his first career NHL goal on his first shot and finished with 25 points (9 goals, 16 assists) in 77 games. He finished third in the Calder Cup trophy voting as the NHL’s Rookie of the Year.