Former Pittsburgh Penguins forwards Kevin Stevens, whose 15-year NHL career included back-to-back Stanley Cup Championships with the Penguins in 1991 and '92, and Matt Cullen, who also won back-to-back Championships with Pittsburgh in ’16 and ’17, were elected to the United States Hockey Hall of Fame today.
Stevens and Cullen become the 16th and 17th player or builder with ties to the Penguins organization to be elected to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. Both players currently hold roles in within the Penguins organization, as Stevens serves as a Special Assignment Scout and Cullen is a Player Development Coach.
Stevens spent parts of 10 seasons in Pittsburgh (1987-95, ‘01-02), recording 260 goals, 295 assists and 555 points in 522 career regular-season games with the Penguins. In Penguins history, Stevens ranks seventh in goals, 10th in assists and ninth in points.
The native of Brockton, Massachusetts was instrumental in Pittsburgh's back-to-back Stanley Cup Championships in 1991 and '92. In both playoff runs, Stevens ranked second in goals (30), assists (31) and points (61) in 45 playoff games. Stevens led the playoffs in goals in 1991 (17) and scored game-winning goals in Game 2 of the 1991 Stanley Cup Final against the Minnesota North Stars and in Game 3 of the 1992 Stanley Cup Final against the Chicago Blackhawks.
The two-time Stanley Cup Champion ranks ninth all-time among American-born players in playoff goals (46) and is also tied for eighth in points by an American in the playoffs (106).
Stevens is now the fifth member of Pittsburgh's 1991 or '92 Stanley Cup Championship teams to be enshrined in the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, joining Joe Mullen (1998), Gordie Roberts (1999), Tom Barrasso (2009) and Craig Patrick (1996).
A three-time NHL All-Star, Stevens appeared in 874 regular-season games with Pittsburgh, the New York Rangers, Los Angeles, Boston and Philadelphia, totaling 329 goals, 397 assists and 726 points. His 329 goals rank 21st among American-born players in NHL history.
Over the course of his career, Stevens eclipsed 100 points twice, both with the Penguins, with 123 (54G-69A) in 1991-92 and 111 (55G-56A) in '92-93. Stevens' 123 points in 1991-92 ranks as the third-most in a single season in NHL history by an American-born skater. His 111 points in 1992-93 with the Penguins also rank sixth all-time for most in a single season by an American in league history.
Stevens represented the United States at the 1988 Olympic Games and won a bronze medal with the United States at the 1996 World Championship.
Before his professional playing days, Stevens played four seasons at Boston College (1983-87), where he served as captain in his final season and won three straight Hockey East championships (1985-1987).
The 47-year old Cullen enjoyed an exceptional NHL career in which he recorded 731 regular-season points (266G-465A). Over the course of his 21 seasons, Cullen appeared in 1,516 games with Anaheim, Florida, Carolina, New York Rangers, Ottawa, Minnesota, Nashville, and Pittsburgh. His 1,516 games played are the second-most by an American-born player and the 20th-most in NHL history.
A three-time Stanley Cup Champion, the Virginia, Minnesota native played a vital role in helping Carolina win their franchise's first Stanley Cup in 2006, and then later won back-to-back championships with the Penguins in 2016 and ‘17. In total, Cullen suited up for 132 career playoff games, registering 58 points (19G-39A).
In 225 regular-season games with the Penguins, Cullen recorded 36 goals, 47 assists and 83 points. He served as an alternate captain in parts of each of his three seasons with Pittsburgh, and his seven shorthanded goals during that span were more than any other Penguin.
Originally drafted by the Anaheim Ducks in the second round (35th overall) of the 1996 NHL Draft, Cullen has recorded 10 or more goals in 16 of his 21 seasons, including a career-best 25 goals during the Hurricanes 2005-06 championship season. He has also eclipsed the 40-point plateau seven times.
A scoring threat in all situations, 55 of Cullen's 266 career goals have come on the power play, while 21 have come shorthanded. His 21 shorthanded tallies are tied for the ninth-most by an American-born player in NHL history.
Cullen has represented the United States internationally multiple times, including four appearances at the World Championship (1998, ’99, ’03, ’04), where he won a bronze medal in 2004, and once at the World Junior Championship (1996).
The U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2024 is the 52nd and the formal Induction Celebration will take place on December 4 in Pittsburgh. Additional details will be released by USA Hockey later this month.
