Former Pittsburgh Penguins star Kevin Stevens' two-decade battle with addiction is the subject of a 22-minute documentary and article from Sportsnet of Canada.
Stevens, 52, opened up about his drug use in a video that includes interviews from friends, family and several former teammates, including Rick Tocchet, head coach of the Arizona Coyotes, and Mario Lemieux, who co-owns the Penguins.
The video includes clips of Stevens getting injured in a 1993 playoff game against the N.Y. Islanders and news accounts of his arrest on drug possession charges.
After that injury, Stevens was prescribed painkillers. He later descended into addiction and he spent millions of dollars on drugs, according to his interview.
"Addiction just takes and takes and takes," Stevens said. "It gives you a lot of shame, a lot of guilt. When I'm in that addiction part of it, it's really, really hard to get out of it."
[embed width="350" height="450"] https://twitter.com/Sportsnet/status/952333043154542592 [/embed]
Stevens played at Boston College. He won Stanley Cups with the Penguins in 1991 and 1992.
He was sentenced in December 2016 to three years' probation and fined $10,000 for conspiring to sell oxycodone.
In June, Stevens helped Penguin coaches at development camp in Cranberry.
[embed width="350" height="450"] https://twitter.com/Sportsnet/status/952677995164176384 [/embed]
Renatta Signorini is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach her at 724-837-5374, rsignorini@tribweb.com or via Twitter @byrenatta.
