Two Former Penguins Inducted Into U.S. Hockey Hall Of Fame

On Wednesday, two Pittsburgh Penguins received the honor of a lifetime.

And – fittingly enough – it was right in the city where they largely earned the honor.

Former Penguins forwards Kevin Stevens and Matt Cullen were inducted into the USA Hockey Hall of Fame, with the ceremony – of course – being held in Pittsburgh.

“It was great,” Stevens said. “It’s always nice. There’s so many great U.S.-born players, and to be in that class, and be here in Pittsburgh, too, makes it that much better. So, it was great news, and it’s been a lot of fun so far.”

Stevens, now 59, played for the Penguins from 1987-1995. Known as one of the greatest power forwards of his generation, he registered 251 goals and 527 points in 458 games with Pittsburgh – in addition to helping the Penguins win back-to-back Stanley Cups in 1991 and 1992.

Over the course of his NHL career, he put up 329 goals and 726 points in 874 games. His perserverance through off-ice struggles have also endeared him to Pittsburgh and the Penguins’ organization.

Cullen played for the Penguins at the tail end of his NHL career, and although his best numbers didn’t come with Pittsburgh, he did win two of his three career Stanley Cup championships with the organization in 2016 and 2017, and he played an integral part of the veteran leadership in the locker room to help the Penguins win those Cups.

“They were probably the most fun years I had playing, to be honest,” Cullen said. “It was fun. The age of my boys, having them here, that meant a lot and added a lot to it. I thought before I came here, I would be done playing, so we treated it like a gift, the time here. So, everything was a little bit unexpected, and it went better than we ever could have imagined. So it was fun, there were some fantastic years. Our kids grew up right here, and it just felt like home. So we enjoyed it.”

Cullen recorded 266 goals and 731 points across 1,516 NHL games played.

And both players had a ton of support in attendance at the ceremony itself:

“‘Cully’ was an unbelievable teammate,” said current Penguins forward Bryan Rust, a former teammate of Cullen’s during those Cup years. “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.”

Current Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan had great things to say about both. He coached Cullen, but he also played against both as a player.

“I think it’s a great moment for them, and I couldn’t be happier for either one of them,” Sullivan said ahead of the ceremony. “They’re both great people, and they’re so deserving of this accolade with their body of work in the league, what they represent, and what they accomplished. But, in Pittsburgh, in particular, and what they mean to the city of Pittsburgh and the Pittsburgh Penguins… I think it’s so appropriate that the ceremony is here in Pittsburgh.”

And Stevens reiterated that point when recalling his time with the Penguins – and, like Cullen, calling Pittsburgh “home.”

“Pittsburgh, it’s kind of ‘home’,” Stevens said. “I loved playing here, I love coming back. I still work here with the Pens, so, I get chances to come back here. But it’s kind of like home. Boston’s where I grew up, and that’s where I live now. But, whenever I come back here to Pittsburgh, I feel very comfortable. It’s a great place, great people. I had great teammates here, I played with some of the best players, and it’s a great team.”