Scott Stevens leaves Devils' coaching staff
Scott Stevens will not be back on the bench for the Devils this season as an assistant coach after leaving the team's coaching staff. GM Lou Lamoriello says the former defenseman's departure is a "personal decision."
After years of delivering punishing checks that are still reverberating through some NHL arenas, Scott Stevens turned in his shoulder pads for a clipboard as a New Jersey Devils assistant coach. The franchise legend, however, has informed the team that after two seasons on the job, he will be leaving the team’s coaching staff.
The fact that it comes at this late stage of the offseason makes the move more than a little surprising. The Devils will replace Stevens with (surprise!) another former Devil in Tommy Albelin, who comes up from the club’s AHL affiliate in Albany.
Lou Lamoriello told Tom Gulitti of NorthJersey.com that Stevens' departure was a "personal decision."
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"There is nothing to read into," Lamoriello said. "It's not the organization. It's not this. It's not that. It's just that was a decision he made. I'm sure it's not something that will be long term. I'm sure he'll be back into coaching, hopefully, here someday. It's just a personal thing."
But Lamoriello doesn't expect Stevens to coach this upcoming season.
"I don't believe that will happen," he said. "This is a decision he made and I don't think anybody should read into anything of anything. It's just a personal decision. Personal, professional, whatever way you want to look at it, it's just a decision he made."
Stevens, as you probably guessed, ran the defense on the bench. With numerous youngsters at the position including Adam Larsson, Jon Merrill and Eric Gelinas, there’s probably a lot they could have continued to learn from one of the guys whose number hangs above the Devils’ ice surface.
They should be able to learn from Albelin as well. He played in 952 NHL games, most of those coming with New Jersey. He also spent three seasons as an assistant coach for the Devils from 2007 to 2010.
Losing a coach this late in the offseason is probably not ideal, especially when that coach is one of the franchise’s all-time greats. But as is often true of the Devils, they already have someone in the family ready to step up and fill the void.
