During the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame Induction Celebration on Wednesday evening at Omni William Penn Hotel in downtown Pittsburgh, Matt Cullen chatted with his old teammates Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang, Bryan Rust, Chris Kunitz, and Trevor Daley as dinner was being served.
Elsewhere in the ballroom, Kevin Stevens stood by his old teammates Mario Lemieux and Ron Francis, who were seated with the likes of Kyle Dubas and Mike Sullivan. There were so many current and former members of the Penguins organization in town, some traveling in just for the event, to watch ‘Cully’ and ‘Artie’ receive their honors.
“It's so appropriate that the ceremony is in Pittsburgh and those two guys are going in, because they've been cornerstones of the Stanley Cup teams they were on when those teams won,” Sullivan said. “Artie is arguably one of the best power forwards of his generation. He was such a big part of the two Stanley Cups that they won in the early 90s.
“WIth the most recent back-to-back Stanley Cup group, you all know the contributions and the influence that Cully had on the Penguins and our ability to have success on those Stanley Cup teams. So, I think it's a great moment for them. They're both great people.”
In his speech, Cullen called Sullivan the best coach he played for in the NHL. “I still remember the day you became my boys’ favorite coach, actually, when you kicked Olli Maatta off the ice so they could get out and play after practice. You became their hero,” Cullen joked.
Matt and his wife Bridget’s three sons – Brooks, Wyatt and Joey – all accompanied them to the ceremony. It meant so much bringing them back, considering that Cullen’s time in Pittsburgh “were probably the most fun years I had playing, to be honest” – considering the kids, who loved hockey, were old enough to appreciate having a dad in the NHL.
“I thought before I came here, I would be done playing. So, we treated it like a gift a little bit, the time here,” Cullen said. “Everything was a little bit unexpected, and it went better than we ever could have imagined. There were some fantastic years here. Our kids grew up right here, and it just felt like home.”
Brooks, now 18 and a senior at his dad’s alma mater, Moorhead High School in Minnesota – committed to No. 1 Michigan State – said when they look back on it, their days of being rink rats are what stands out the most.
“It was a perfect setup. We were at the rink every day doing school, it was awesome,” Brooks said. “I remember Flower (Marc-Andre Fleury), he would always come and grab us three because he loves doing pranks. One day, he said, ‘let's go tape up all of Ian Cole’s clothes.” So, we went and taped all his clothes together during practice one day. It was pretty cool.”
They couldn’t be prouder of their dad, saying Cullen’s accomplishments are ‘pretty unreal.’
“He's just our role model for everything,” Brooks said. “He teaches us everything we know. He’s always there pushing us and telling us to work hard. It’s just things like that keep us going and make us better. So, he's just always there. He's been the biggest part of our hockey career for all three of us.”
Matt is a tremendous father to the trio, and was also Dad to his teammates in the Penguins locker room. By the time he got to Pittsburgh, Cullen was in the twilight of a career that spanned 1,516 total games. The longevity is what Cullen is proudest of, saying he prided himself on being a team player and adapting his game over the years to continue being a valuable player as he got older.
“Cully was an unbelievable teammate,” Rust said. “He did a lot for me in my career, not only as a hockey player, but as a pro, kind of learning how to balance the entire lifestyle. I owe him a lot for kind of making me who I am today as a pro.”
“It's not a secret that he played a long time and was productive all the way through that,” Crosby said. “So yeah, it's no fluke that he was able to play as long as he as he was. Really grateful I had the opportunity to play with him and learn from him. He was so professional, had so much character... was just really poised. We relied on him a lot as far as the minutes he played and important situations.”
It’s funny – in separate interviews they didn’t know were coming, Sullivan, Letang, Rust and Crosby all had the same favorite Cullen memory.
“I think he led our forwards in ice time in that Game 6 win against Nashville,” Rust said. He was correct, as Cullen played 19:42 minutes in the 2017 Cup-clinching victory, laughing that he didn’t understand why he was so tired afterward until looking at the game sheet.
“He was 42, playing the most ice time in a Cup-clinching game. That's probably my favorite on ice moment,” Letang said. “Matt was just an awesome guy to be around in the room. Tons of knowledge and he was nice to everybody, open to everybody to talk about anything – whether it's personal life or hockey stuff. So, there’s not a bad moment I spent with Matt Cullen.”
Cullen credited Jim Rutherford for having the most significant impact on his career, saying he wouldn’t be standing on that stage if it weren’t for him, as they won three times together (twice in Pittsburgh and once in Carolina in 2006).
Rutherford was one of four former Penguins general managers in attendance at the ceremony, joining Ray Shero, Craig Patrick and Eddie Johnston, who were all there for Stevens. Current general managers Patrik Allvin (Vancouver), Tom Fitzgerald (New Jersey) and Francis (Seattle) were also present for Artie, just to name a few.
“He's a terrific person, a terrific friend,” said Francis, who was a member of the 1991 and ’92 Stanley Cup teams with Stevens. “You go through the battles as a player, and you're fortunate enough to win a championship together. Those are bonds that stay with you forever. So, I’m really excited he's getting the honor, well deserved. I didn't want to miss it.”
While Stevens joked that he was shocked to get selected – “I didn’t know if I was clocked out of this thing or not. I snuck in late!” – his legacy is something to be admired. Stevens wasn’t just one of the best power forwards of his generation – he was a fan favorite, and adored by everyone he shared a locker room with.
When Rick Tocchet was in town last week with his Canucks, the reigning Jack Adams Award winner as the NHL’s top coach called Stevens his favorite teammate of all time.
“Unbelievable guy, obviously a great player,” Tocchet said. “Unbelievable in the room, well-liked by everybody. A great hockey mind.”
“We would all would say he was one of the best teammates anybody could ever have,” agreed SportsNet Pittsburgh analyst Jay Caufield, who arrived at the event with Lemieux. “I mean, he appreciated whatever you did, whatever your role was. But he was truly the funniest person we've ever been around.
"Plus, just how great of a dominating power forward he was, really before it took off – he was the ultimate in what he did. But as a teammate, outstanding. Had your back all the time. I think that's why all the guys are here.”
Stevens got a little choked up at the end of his speech while thanking everyone who came in for him, including his teammates from the 1988 U.S. Olympic Team, who surprised him at the Penguins game on Tuesday.
Seeing Stevens standing on that stage in a good place and looking well was wonderful to see, as he’s been through so much. Life got difficult for Stevens after he struggled with addiction that stemmed from injuries during his playing days. Now, he just tries to take it one day at a time and follow through, and saying that life is good and he just tries to use his story to help others.
“My journey, we would have to be here a long time to tell you it, it’s been a little bit chaotic,” Stevens said with a chuckle. “Just being here in Pittsburgh, having this event here, it meant a lot too. It kind of brings back where it kind of all happened for me... I love Pittsburgh. I feel comfortable here, and it's a place that I have always loved.
"I want to see them do well now. When I was here, it was just amazing because the people are great here, and the organization's great. It never really changes."
