Penguins Legends Finally Reveal the Truth About Scotty Bowman's Pittsburgh Era
Photo credit: Edit from The New York Times
There's a rumor that the 1991-92 Penguins didn't want Scotty Bowman at their practices, but that's the furthest thing from the truth, as details were revealed.
Scotty Bowman's name has been attached to one of the greatest rumors in hockey for years, that the 1991-92 Stanley Cup-winning Penguins did not like him to run their practices because they allegedly disapproved of his style of coaching. But the players who dressed for him say the reality is quite different.
"It's really not true," Phil Bourque said. "None of it."
Bowman, 92 and the consensus choice for the greatest NHL coach of all time, will be enshrined in the Penguins Hall of Fame on Saturday afternoon at PPG Paints Arena prior to the Penguins' game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
He is one of four members of the induction class that includes Kevin Stevens, Ron Francis, and Eddie Johnston.
Despite having only spent three years with the Penguins, the impact of Bowman was gargantuan.
Signed in 1990 by general manager Craig Patrick as director of player personnel, Bowman played a key role in putting together the roster that won the franchise's first Stanley Cup.
When head coach Bob Johnson fell ill the next season, Bowman took over behind the bench and led the Penguins to a second consecutive championship in 1992.
His 1992-93 roster recorded a franchise-record 119 points before their playoff upset by the Islanders.
Scotty Bowman took his talents to Detroit in the mid-1990s to continue his legacy
Subsequent to that, Bowman left for Detroit, where he'd continue to add championships to his storied resume. But in Pittsburgh, his legacy remains present to this day.
Stars and role players have since spoken about how much they admired his leadership and grasp of the game, even if his approach wasn't always so easy to grasp in its length.
"That stuff about Scotty was all wrong," Kevin Stevens said. "I get along with him to this day, and I always did. I think we all did. I still love talking hockey with Scotty and talking with him about other sports, because he knows everything about every sport. To be honest, I considered it to be an honor playing hockey for Scotty Bowman. He was different than Badger Bob. No one was going to be as warm as Bob. But that doesn't mean we didn't like Scotty or didn't want him around. Not at all."
"Here's what happened," Bourque said. "Scotty had a son who was pretty sick at the time - sick enough that Scotty needed to be with him a good bit. So, we had an understanding of what was going on with his family, and it was kind of an easy out for him to get to spend time with his son. We had Barry Smith and Rick Kehoe, who were great assistant coaches. They were so good at handling practices anyway. We had a veteran team, a great team. It was basically, 'Hey Scotty, take care of your family. Do what you have to do. And then, come back for games and do what you do best. Be the best bench general there's ever been.' That's just how it worked out. We didn't dislike him at all."
"Here's what happened," Bourque said. "Scotty had a son who was pretty sick at the time - sick enough that Scotty needed to be with him a good bit. So, we had an understanding of what was going on with his family, and it was kind of an easy out for him to get to spend time with his son. We had Barry Smith and Rick Kehoe, who were great assistant coaches. They were so good at handling practices anyway. We had a veteran team, a great team. It was basically, 'Hey Scotty, take care of your family. Do what you have to do. And then, come back for games and do what you do best. Be the best bench general there's ever been.' That's just how it worked out. We didn't dislike him at all."
This weekend, almost all of those same players come back to pay him tribute. For all the legend that swirled around his years here in Pittsburgh, the reality is straightforward: Bowman made them better, and they never forgot it.
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