Steve
Shutt(Inducted 1993)

Steve Shutt first gained attention as a scoring star with the North York Rangers of the tough Metropolitan Toronto Hockey League, but the powerful Toronto Marlboros weren't about to miss out on a local phenomenon like Shutt. He was quickly recruited and eventually formed one of the most potent lines in OHA history with Dave Gardner and Billy Harris. In three junior seasons, Shutt scored 144 goals and was one of the top prospects available in the 1972 Amateur Draft.

Habs general manager Sam Pollock used the same shrewd maneuvering that landed Guy Lafleur in 1971 to acquire the fourth choice in the 1972 draft. As luck would have it, Harris, Jacques Richard and Don Lever were claimed with the first three choices, leaving Shutt available to Montreal.

During his rookie season in 1972-73, Shutt played well on a deep club that went on to win the Stanley Cup. He continued to progress the following year before breaking out with 30 goals in 1974-75 while playing on a line with Pete Mahovlich and Guy Lafleur. The big center Mahovlich was deceptively quick, and Lafleur's natural speed and style tormented the opposition. This gave Shutt sufficient room to fly up and down his wing and release his patented shots. He was also used effectively as the point man on the powerplay since he was able to direct the puck along the ice at high speeds. The trio was so successful that Mahovlich set a Canadiens single-season record for a center with 117 points in 1974-75.

Shutt improved to 45 goals in 1975-76 and the Habs began a four-year Stanley Cup run. A few months later he helped his country win the inaugural Canada Cup. Shutt showcased a wide scoring arsenal, a superior wrist shot and slapshot, and cat-like reflexes that enabled him to tip shots from the point and pounce on rebounds.

In 1976-77, the fleet scorer was partnered with Jacques Lemaire and Guy Lafleur to form the top line in the NHL. Their offensive dominance helped Montreal post the greatest regular season in league history with an astonishing 60-8-12 record. That year Shutt led the NHL with 60 goals and in the process set a new league and team record for left wingers that remained the NHL standard until Luc Robitaille's 63-goal performance in 1992-93. Following the season, he was placed on the NHL's First All-Star Team.

The next year he helped Montreal win its third consecutive Cup by registering a personal best of nine goals and 17 points in the playoffs. Despite the end of the Habs Cup run, Shutt continued to shine. The team remained successful in the regular season and he was paired with the likes of Mark Napier, Doug Wickenheiser, John Chabot and Perry Turnbull. Early in the 1984-85 season, Shutt was traded to the Los Angeles Kings. He recorded 41 points in 59 games, but after 930 regular-season games, he'd had enough of the rigors of the NHL. Shutt retired with 424 goals and in 1993 was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Following his playing career, the effervescent Shutt worked as a television commentator. In 1993-94, he returned to Montreal as an assistant coach and worked there until the end of the 1996-97 season.

Interview with a Legend by Ken Newans

Steve Shutt was one of hockey's great sharpshooters. He had the talent to be in the right place at the right time and he had the soft hands of a surgeon.

He has a master plan that could save Canadian NHL Hockey.

Shutt is passionate about Canadian hockey. He considers the Canadian player and fans the heart and soul of the NHL. He adds, "To lose any more of our Canadian franchises would be devastating."

Steve alluded to the Toronto NHL Allstar Weekend where everything including practices were sold out and tickets were being scalped at $1000.00 each. The NHL bureaucrats from New York and around the league had never witnessed such frenzied hockey interest. Shutt credits NHL President Gary Bettman who, according to Steve, fully understands the importance of Canada to the NHL. It's still the world's best hockey breeding ground. He challenges the NHL Players’ Association to get involved, "as their silence has been deafening."

Steve Shutt has proven to be a hockey zealot. He worked for four years as a Montreal Radio hockey analyst alongside the great Dick Irvin. Then he was a four year Canadian assistant coach. I'm of the opinion that the Shutt Plan deserves an audience. So listen up owners, government, NHL P.A. and Mr. Bettman.

The Steve Shutt Hockey Master Plan:

1. The NHL Players’ Association must get involved. They could start by implementing a players tax. Players are taxed when they play in each province. Steve claims all the players do is fill in a tax form and it's painless and it's already being used in New York and California.

2. The NHL must work out a deal with Canadian lotteries so that some of their profits are kicked back to the NHL teams.

3. Shutt doesn't agree that tax dollars should go to professional teams. However, Steve wants the government to give the NHL the same tax break that other businesses with the same economic base get. When Montreal pays more property taxes than all of the American teams combined, the playing field between American and Canadian teams is not level.

We also discussed our Canadian minor hockey woes. Wayne Gretzky says we need to put fun back into minor hockey. Steve Shutt has advice for hockey parents: "Stop pressuring your kids and let them have fun. If you can't do that, stay home."

Shutt reminds parents, "Your kids will get to the NHL if they have the proper skill and proper desire and attitude. Coaches too must relax and let kids play for fun."

Steve Shutt, "the player" took an unusual road to the NHL. He was a Toronto Murlie super star junior drafted in the first round by Montreal. It didn't impress Shutt because the powerful Habs were loaded with talent and he wanted to play. For two years, he was in and out of the line-up, but then he got a break as Tardiff, Houle and Frank Mahovlich jumped to the W.H.A.

Steve was on a line with Guy Lafleur and Pete Mahovlich that was an immediate success. Later when Lemaire succeeded the flamboyant Peter M., they became the NHL's most explosive forward line. In 1976-77, Steve set a left wing scoring record with 60 goals, Guy had 57 and the lines defensive specialist Jacques Lemaire had 35. There isn't a line in the watered down NHL today that could produce those numbers.

Shutt helped lead Montreal to five Stanley Cups, was singled out for Allstar honours five times and after 12 years played his final year with the L.A. Kings. This was a year he enjoyed because it was L.A. and a new organization, but then at 33, he retired because he felt he had attained all of his goals.

Steve has been working on his fitness because this year he will be playing with the Oldtimers' Hockey Challenge across Canada. Shutt admitted he never realized until the Legends tour how popular the Habs were in the west.

"The crowds are awesome, it's a relaxed and fun time, I love the environment! I feel like a kid again."