It wasn’t because he needed a long trip to decompress. Stevens’ youngest son, Nolan, is a forward for the San Antonio Rampage, and Stevens made the drive to catch his game against the Bakersfield Condors. Nolan got two assists in a 3-2 loss, with his then unknown teammate Jordan Binnington in goal. But the loss was beside the point.
“Sunday morning [on Nov. 4, 2018], we jumped into the truck and saw Nolan play,” Stevens said. “The first thing we thought was family. You miss a lot of things with your family and your kids.”
Stevens spent the ensuing months doing what he hadn’t been able to do for years: be a normal parent and watch his sons play.