Penguins Kevin Stevens and Matt Cullen to U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame

Kevin Stevens and Matt Cullen got the call.

They were Pittsburgh Penguins and Stanley Cup champions a generation apart, but both will be inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame on Dec. 4.

Stevens, 59, was the boisterous winger who was the heartbeat of the 1991 and 1992 Penguins Stanley Cup champions. Before a catastrophic facial injury in the 1993 playoff series against the New York Islanders, Stevens was setting the standard for power forwards. He was a first or second-team All-Star from 1991-1993.

In 10 seasons and two tenures with the Penguins, the Brockton, MA native played 522 games, scoring 260 goals with 555 points. Overall, Stevens played 15 seasons in the NHL, amassing 726 points.

Stevens publicly battled substance abuse near the end of his playing career and afterward. However, he has become a symbol of recovery and rebuilding life. He currently serves as a special assignment scout for the Penguins.

Stevens is now the fifth member of the Penguins’ 1991 and 1992 Cup teams to be elected to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame. Joe Mullen (1998), Gordie Roberts (1999), Tom Barrasso (2009), and Craig Patrick (1996) are the others.

Matt Cullen, 47, was a late offseason free agent signing by former general manager Jim Rutherford before the 2015-16 season. In short order, the then 36-year-old veteran became the conscience of the Penguins locker room, earning the nickname “Dad.”

Cullen was vital to the Penguins’ back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2016 and 2017. He played only three of his 21 NHL seasons with the Penguins but left an indelible mark. Cullen is part of the Penguins’ hockey development team, often working with prospects on faceoffs and the finer points of the game.

Cullen, from Virginia, Minnesota, played 1516 NHL games and registered 731 points. He also won the Stanley Cup with the 2005-06 Carolina Hurricanes.

Stevens and Cullen become the 16th and 17th player or builder with ties to the Penguins to be elected to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame.

The formal Induction Celebration will take place on Dec. 4 in Pittsburgh. Additional details will be released by USA Hockey later this month.