IAm Steve Duchesne, retired NHL defenseman and Stanley Cup winner. AMA

Who is your favorite current NHL player and why?

I like Pavel Datsyuk. He has the best hands I have ever seen.

The 2002 Detroit Red Wings had to be one of the most star-studded teams ever. What was it like playing on a team with some of the greatest of all time? What was the locker room like? How did Scotty Bowman manage such a great team?

Edit: Go Wings!

Scotty kept everyone on the edge. You had to perform or you wouldn't be playing. Didn't matter who you were.

Steve, My name is Wesley, I don't know if you remember me and my brother Brent from your time in Los Angeles but I have your last hockey stick as a King that you signed for us as we helped you pack after you got traded (which was a sad day for my brother and I as you were one of our favorites). I still see purple and gold Duchesne jersey's when I go to staples center and it makes me happy when I do. And my question to you is, what is your best memory of your time as a Los Angeles King?

There are a lot. My first NHL game! The year I scored 25 goals with them. When Gretzky came over! Thanks fro helping me pack Btw!

Was the Great One as nice as he seems?

yes

First off, thanks for doing this. When you played with Daniel Alfredsson in his rookie year, could you tell that he would go on to have such an illustrious career?

Absolutely, he was unbelievable.

You played for the Flyers at the same time as Ron Hextall, who was known for not being the most mild-mannered goalie in the game. Was he as crazy off-ice as on? Any other crazy/interesting characters stand out from your career?

He was very mild off the ice. Sean Avery I don't think can be beaten as far as on and off the ice.

What is your favorite story to share from your days as a pro? Whether it be on ice, off ice, traveling with the teams, or whatever.

Who was your favorite pro team to play for?

Thanks for doing this!

I have a story, maybe not my favorite but whatever. The year we won the cup in Detroit we were flying from Vancouver ,after the game, to San Jose and the engine on our plane stalled. We had to a nose dive so the engine would start again. Never seen so many manly hockey players scream:).

You were one of my favorites when you played for the Blues. What do you think of their chances this year?

I like it a lot. Especially, with their hot goalies and Hitchcock behind the bench. This might be the year.

Hey Steve thanks for doing this. Did you see the hit Raffi Torres laid on Marian Hossa? What are your thoughts on the hit? Also who is your favorite to win the cup this year?

I saw the replay and it was a dirty hit, because Hossa didn't have the puck anymore, it was a late hit. Anyone could win it, but Philli looks pretty good.

I hear some great stories about parties with Lord Stanley's Cup. What's the best story about the Cup that you can share?

My kids experiences with the cup are definitely the greatest to me. They ate captain crunch out of it, showered a few times with it. All good stuff!

Who is currently the best player in hockey? Who was the best player you ever played on a team with?

I think Crosby is. Gretzky

Now that you are retired, what do you do with your time?

Im part owner of a minor league hockey team the "Allen Americans". Right now I'm in Europe, helping my 17 year old girl work on her modeling career. I also have a 15 year old boy who I can thank for helping me with this today.

Hey Steve! It's great to talk to you, I just wanted to ask a couple things.

1. What is in you opinion the greatest highlight of your career other than winning the Cup?
2. How often was your name mispronounced Du-Chez-Nee?

Thanks for doing this AMA, from a Kings and Flyers fan, we loved having you on both teams

1. Assisting on Gretzky's record breaking goal, passing Howe.
2. A lot

did you always want to become a hockey player?

no actually, when I was younger I always wanted to be a police officer.

Salut, Steve - longtime hockey fan here. Thanks for doing this!

The 2002 wings were one of my favorite teams to watch - you guys were stacked with talent! As a diehard SJ Sharks fan (cup-less, alas), I have to ask - what do you think are the key ingredients to winning the Stanley Cup?

Also, what's your top career highlight besides winning Lord Stanley's silverware?

Unbelievable Goalie , no injuries, and a good coach that can react better to what the other team is doing.

Hey Steve! You scored one of the biggest goals in the history of the Ottawa Senators. How did it feel seeing that puck sneak past Dominik Hasek, and clinching the Sens first playoff berth?

Felt great! Other than winning the cup it was a great moment in my career.

How did it feel when you finally got to hold the Stanley Cup?

Best feeling as an athlete. Worked so hard for it!

Bonjour Steve, Plusieurs questions

1. Parles-tu encore beaucoup de francais? Ou as-tu perdu la langue un peux?

2. You had a big Career with Los Angeles. They drafted you and you stayed for five seasons. How hard was it to be traded from that organization? When you went back in 1998-1999, just to get traded to Philadelphia AGAIN, were you like wtf guys, we just did this 9 years ago. Did it ever get easier to be traded? Or every time was it emotionally and logistically painful?

3. Do you have a team captain that stands out as extra awesome?

4. You played a season in Quebec. That must of been sweet to play in your own province. Even though you were traded before it happened, were you sad to see the Quebec Franchise leave? Being a province Native and having played there, do you expect a team could return and do well?

5. Your moved around a lot. Of all the teams, do you remember the most heated Rivalry? Ottawa/Toronto? Quebec/Montreal? Detroit/Colorado?

6. It must of sucked to win the Stanley cup. I’m sorry you had to go through that.

Thanks a lot for doing this. I asked a ton of questions and I am sorry if they are overwhelming. You can pick and choose which ones to answer as you please.

1. Steve Yzerman was the best. So committed on and off the ice. Learned a lot from his leadership.
2. Definitely Quebec/Montreal, Especially the playoffs of 93/'94. We had such a good team in Quebec that year that we should have won the cup:) but Montreal did.
3. Worst experience of my life;)

Did you have any vendettas against any players in the league? Any specific teams or players that you loved playing against more so than others?

I hated playing against Messier and the Edmonton team because he could hurt you. Not only in goals but physically.

Hey Steve, thanks for doing this AMA, I always wonder what players favorite teams were as they grew up and what it was like having to go and play against them, and in some cases knock them out of the playoffs.

So what was your childhood team?

Montreal was my favorite childhood team. Ill never forget playing the first time in Montreal forum, in front of all my family and friends. Proud moment.

Hi steve, awesome you're doing this. I've been a Nordiques fan (from NY) since i was 5 in 1980. When Lindros cried about being on the Nordiques and demanded a trade, i was very excited to see your name on the list of players coming to Quebec. You had one of the best seasons ever with them....played every game then before i knew it, BAM, you're off to St. Louis. was that a "well it's just business" move or was there more to it? I wish you stayed with them and won the cup with the Av's in '96, but still happy you got one with the Wings.

Yeah, I wish i would have stayed with them as well. But, Mr. Aubut and I had a different opinion on how much I should have been payed:). Still regret not being able to work it out with him.

Hey Steve. Thanks for doing this!

I've watched a lot of hockey over the past couple decades and it seems that the pace of the game and the skill and athleticism of the players have steadily increased. How do you think the teams you played for stack up against teams today?

Players in the new generation are bigger and faster. They take care of themselves better, on and off the ice. Also the technology is better. I would be hard to compete against them.

Steve, did you ever get a boner on the ice?

I want this answered. I've always wondered how paid athlete's deal with their erections in a professional manner.

EDIT: Come on STEVE, are you above answering a legitimate boner question that thousands of male athlete's have wondered?

Maybe after my first Hat-trick.

Steve, who's your cup favorite this year?

I have to say Philadelphia looks pretty good, but you never know about their goalie. If their Goalie will stay hot.

You were involved in arguably the biggest trade in NHL history: the trade that sent Eric Lindros to Philadelphia. What goes through your head when your franchise packages you up with a bunch of your teammates and ships you off all to acquire one player?

Follow-up: did you follow the careers of the players you were traded for?

In my case, I loved it because I was going back close to home. And I knew we had a good team.

You had a very stacked team when you won the Cup with the Wings here in Detroit....Can you talk about that a little bit? What was it like in that locker room with all those future Hall of Famers and up and coming stars?

It was great! Learned a lot from all those guys!

Steve the worst experience I had as a sports fan was losing the Hartford Whalers. I still follow hockey, but I have found it impossible to be a true fan of any other team. The passion just isn't there and I can't force it.

You don't see the NFL setting up teams in frigging Manitoba, but the NHL keeps trying to take teams from smaller markets and cram them in a larger city where they just won't do well (Atlanta and Phoenix being obvious examples). Why is the NHL so focused on expanding the brand instead of cultivating what they have?

Its all about money. Quantity over quality, sadly.

Hi Steve, thanks for taking our questions!

You would have been playing with the Kings for a few years already when they traded for Gretzky. Was it difficult, as a team, to remain focused once the team started to get a tremendous amount of attention, especially since it was focused on just one player and was happening in market that before wasn't as interested in hockey? If so, how did you cope with that?

Well, it was great cause we finally brought attention to the team, and gave us a chance to finally see some movie stars:).

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Love it because it keeps them alive and its a great series to watch.

Ever drop the gloves? Best guy to drop gloves? Best play you ever had?

Thanks a ton for doing this so cool!

PS Flyers fan, how far you see us going?

1. Yes, and he broke my nose so that was the end of it.
2. Joey Kocur and Mc Sorley
3. far! maybe all the way

With all the commotion over concussions this year:

1) What are your feelings on all the dirty plays this playoff run?

2) Do you think Shanahan is in the right with letting the teams retaliate instead of dealing a harsher punishment?

I think he's doing a great job but the 2,500 fine is a joke.

Steve, thanks for doing this AMA. Do you have any interest in team ownership? The Phoenix Coyotes could use some backing.

Too late, they're going to Quebec City.

Hey Steve-- to this day fifteen years later(!), I remember where I was and who I was with when you scored on Hasek at home, vs. Buffalo, to get Ottawa to the playoffs for the first time. So thanks for that.

It's one of my first great NHL memories, and it will always be one of my favourite hockey moments of all time. I really loved watching you play and lead on those early Sens playoff teams (and of course the doo-doo-doo-doo-Duchesne calls).

I have 2 questions:

1) What goal or moment of yours stands out the most from your career? (looks like you might have answered this already..)

2) You played for so many teams over your career-- who do you cheer for now?

3) If you've got any anecdotes to share from those Ottawa teams you were a part of-- about the coaches, players, locker room, playoff series, home crowds-- I'd love to hear them..

Thanks for doing this, it's really cool to get to ask you questions.

The wings and sens are close to my heart. I do remember that goal as well and Ive never seen so many hockey players kissing from just that one goal:)

How do you feel about all of the extra fighting, misconducts, after whistle scrums, and nastiness this playoffs seems to have as compared to playoffs of other years?

Seems to be pretty intense this year, but thats playoff hockey for you.

Thanks for doing this!

While playing in minor leagues, was it very stressful to play your best in hopes to make it to the NHL? Once you made it to the NHL, were your views that it was a game to have fun in or more like a job or a combination of the two? You've been traded quite a few times over the years. How have you and your family handled getting up and moving so many times?

1. Yes, it was stressful. Also the fact I couldn't speak english at all ,at that time, it was hard to communicate.
2. It was a combination of the two. The fact that you have to perform or you'll be gone made it more like a job at the time.
3. It was hard on them and I cannot thank them enough for all the sacrifice they had to endure over my career.

What teams do you think are going to make it to the cup finals?

Everyone looks pretty good.

I just wanted to say I'm a huge fan, especially of your Red wing' days, even though you had much better scoring years at other times, as a Wings fan, I have to feel that way!

You played at an interesting time, for the team. The team was transitioning from Yzerman, Shannahan, Federov, to Datsyuk, Zetterberg, Lidstrom. And you played with them ALL! Awesome!

My question would be: What is the deal with concussions? Why do they seem so much more prevalent and dangerous, with better safety equipment, training, medical knowledge currently? Is it simply because guys are faster, larger, stronger, etc than ever before?

Anyways, thanks for doing an AMA and congratulations on a great, wonderful career!

I think you hit it right on the head. Also the ice surface stayed the same size, so they're is not much room out there.

Thanks for doing this for us! I have been to a few Allen Americans games, and had a great time. Great on ice product, and the Allen Event center is an amazing arena

1. I notice there seems to be a ton of CHL/AHL teams popping up here in Texas, what is the draw of Texas to minor league hockey teams?

2. As a youth coach/team owner in Dallas, what do you see the sport needs to do to help grow in popularity?

3. I noticed a framed Red Wings jersey in one of the boxes when I went to see the Brahmas hosting the Americans, do you happen to keep a box there as well, or do you have any part in the Brahma organization?

First of all thanks for supporting the Allen Americans.

1. Well having the Dallas stars winning and making the playoffs, would be really helpful. Did you know that the next first round pick overall might be a kid from Texas? So thats a good sign.

2. no

Hey thanks for doing this, I have a few questions.

Playing for 6 teams which do you find yourself cheering for the most?

Which team/arena was the most fun to play for/at?

How often do you keep in touch with players from your old teams?

And once again, thanks!

Detroit and the Joe Louis Arena. A lot

What was the most memorable goal you scored during your career?

Ill never forget my first goal against Detroit and Glen Hanlon