'Incredible': Former Penguins Kevin Stevens And Rick Tocchet Share What It Was Like To Play With Mario Lemieux
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Former Penguins Kevin Stevens and Rick Tocchet joined KDKA's Bob Pompeani and Rich Walsh on Friday's edition of "Living Room Sports."
Tocchet, who won three Stanley Cups with the Penguins, reminisced about his time in Pittsburgh.
"When I got traded to Pittsburgh, I just thought of the team. I didn't think of the city," said Tocchet. "It's one of my favorite places to live. I miss it dearly today."
Stevens also talked about his time in Pittsburgh.
"It's a place I kind of grew up. I loved every minute of it," he said. "I love the people there. I have a lot of my friends still there. It's just home, you feel like you never left."
Tocchet played alongside legend Penguins legend Mario Lemieux during the Stanley Cup runs in the early 1990s and was very complimentary of his ability.
"I wish I could have played with that guy for 10 years," said Tocchet. "That guy was just incredible. Nothing bothered him. What a great athlete but just a super guy.
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"Such an amazing player, just even a better guy," said Stevens. "He just made everyone kind of feel good. He was pretty special; he did some things that not many people could do."
Stevens further went into how impressive Lemieux was on the ice.
"I remember the one year, he didn't practice all year because of the back. He had 161 points," Stevens said. "Me and [Toch] took two days off, we're like 'We got to get on the ice and really skate.' Because two days off is like two months."
Stevens also discussed his well-documented battles with substance abuse and his recovery.
"I was 28-years-old and I tried something. And then obviously, I had that addictive thing I didn't even know I even had," Stevens said.
During times when he was injured, he admitted to taking pain medication.
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"When you're addicted to something, a substance, it's different," said Stevens. "I had seven or eight really good years, and I had seven or eight years where I struggled and those were the years I got addicted to stuff. So now, it's a day at a time. I try to share my experience, and all I really have to do is tell the truth. It isn't always easy."
Tocchet added "As he helped us as teammates, he's doing that today for people in the same predicament.
"Living Room Sports" airs each and every Friday at 7:30 p.m. on KDKA and CBSN Pittsburgh.