Kevin Stevens and Matt Cullen weren’t exactly considered superstars during their time with the Pittsburgh Penguins, but the two champions will now forever be enshrined in history.
Stevens and Cullen were inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame on Tuesday.
Pittsburgh actually hosted the event, with the inductees gathering at the Omni William Penn Hotel. Stevens and Cullen weren’t the only champions to gather alongside the inductees, either, with Mario Lemieux, Ron Francis and current head coach Mike Sullivan all on hand to take in the festivities.
“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, per NHL.com. “(Stevens) 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. (and 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. I think it’s a great moment for them. They’re both great people.”
Stevens — who stood at 6-foot-3, 231 pounds — was one of the great power forwards of an era filled with them, totaling 726 points in 874 career games. Pittsburgh captured its first Stanley Cup wins during his best seasons, which also included a pair of All-Star appearances.
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Cullen also helped the Penguins win two Stanley Cup titles in 2016 and 2017, signing with the team at age 39.
The Penguins honored both men earlier this week.
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Featured image via Raj Mehta/Imagn Images