Back in September of 1983 is where it all started for Stevens’ career with the Penguins, even though he would not play a game in the black and gold for another four seasons. Johnston, then Penguins general manager, made one of his first big moves by trading Anders Håkansson to the Los Angeles Kings for Stevens. He had been drafted 108th overall a few months prior.

“EJ means everything to me. I love him. I would never have been in Pittsburgh if it weren’t for him,” Stevens said. “I was drafted by LA, and he told me how the whole trade went down. He said he saw me play a little bit, but I don’t know if I believe him [laughs]. I didn’t know if I was that good back then. EJ ended up picking me, which was great for my career. I owe EJ a lot for doing that.”

After the trade to Pittsburgh, Stevens went on to play four seasons at Boston College. In his final year, Stevens exploded offensively with an impressive 70 points (35G-35A) in just 39 games. When he made the jump to the NHL, Stevens ranked fourth in goals (205) between the years of 1990-95, and is just one of four skaters to eclipse the 50-goal mark and record 200 penalty minutes in a single season.

Before doing any of that, Stevens not only realized that he was going to play with one of his idols, Mario Lemieux, but also that he would eventually be on the same line as him.

“I remember the first couple of years when I came up, I was scared to death of him,” Stevens said. “I grew up watching him, and it felt like there was no way that I could ever play with him. Eventually, it all came together, and it was an amazing time. It just worked out so well for me in Pittsburgh, and I’m really fortunate to play with all the guys I played with.”

For Stevens, it was one thing to get to share the ice with franchise icons such as Mario Lemieux, Jaromir Jagr, Mark Recchi, Paul Coffey, Bryan Trottier, and Ron Francis. But in Artie’s eyes, he remembers the friendships and bonds with his teammates and coaches as being more memorable than anything else.

“What’s better than coming into a locker room with 20 guys and five coaches, and trying to find a way to beat the Rangers or the Devils? To me, that’s life and what it’s all about: working with your buddies who are trying to win games,” Stevens said. “That’s what I enjoyed most. I enjoyed that part of it just as much as coming out on the ice and winning it in front of the fans of Pittsburgh. To get behind the doors when no one could come in and try to figure out how we were going to win this thing, that was the best time of them all.”

The playoffs are where Artie took over. In the 1991 Cup run, his 17 goals and 33 points both remain as the single-season playoff record in the NHL from a left winger. In total, Stevens recorded 106 points (46G-60A) in 103 Stanley Cup playoff games, all with the Penguins.

With the likes of Stevens, Lemieux, Jagr, Francis, etc., it was difficult for any team to stop their high-powered offense.

“We were built offensively, but I think we could play defense when we had to. The teams were good, and we had a lot of good players,” said Stevens. “Those teams are so solid all around with [Barrasso] in the net. We could play any way you really wanted to play. We liked to score goals, and it was fun to score. We had a lot of offensive guys, so it was kind of built that way.”

When Stevens gets officially inducted into the Penguins Hall of Fame on Oct. 25, he will be joining many of his former players, coaches, and general managers who have previously been given the honor. Artie has been working with the organization since 2017 as a special assignment scout and visits Pittsburgh regularly, a place he will always call home.

The competitive drive has been a key part of Stevens’ character throughout his career. While his playing days are now in the rearview mirror, to this day, all he ever wants is to see the Pittsburgh Penguins have success.

“I love the Penguins organization, and when you work for someone that you really want to see win, I think that’s been the best thing about this whole thing,” Stevens said. “Pittsburgh has been a big part of my life. I love the whole thing, and I love the Penguins organization, everything, everybody that’s been involved. It’s been a long time that I’ve been here.”

More information on the Penguins Hall of Fame can be found here.