In the 1983-84 playoffs, Steve Penney became a sudden star, backstopping the Montreal Canadiens to upset series wins over Boston and then Quebec. The late-season minor-league call-up won nine of 15 games, posting three shutouts with a glittering 2.20 goals against average in the playoffs. The next season, Penney was voted to the NHL all-rookie team but the Canadiens lasted only two rounds in the playoffs. A knee injury limited his play the next season and it prevented him from participating in the Canadiens’ Stanley Cup run. He was traded the following year to Winnipeg, where he played only 15 games in two seasons, his career ended by more injuries and ineffective play. He now works as a sales rep for an eyeglass framing company, Cerem Optical. Penney talked to Sportsnet.ca about his brief fling with fame.
Q: Why did you have so much success in the playoffs? Were you just in the right place at the right time?
A: "When I got the call to go back to Montreal for the remainder of the season (he had been playing in the AHL with Halifax), I didn’t know I was going to play in the playoffs. To me, that was a big step in my career. I was playing out my option year, so in my mind, I said, ‘That’s a good opportunity for me. I’m probably going to sign a new contract. I’m going to take the opportunity to practise with the team and get to know the players. That’s what the NHL is all about.’ When I played the last four games (of the regular season), I lost them all, but I had a lot of shots in those games. (Coach) Jacques Lemaire told me after that he thought I was playing pretty well. What he liked about it was that even when I gave up bad goals, I was always fighting to stop the puck, right until the end of the game. He thought that was a good quality and that’s why he started with me in the playoffs. The other thing was Richard Sevigny and Rick Wamsley were the goalies and both of them didn’t have good seasons. When I started the playoffs, the first game in Boston, I had a very good game and you could almost smell the confidence in everybody. They had confidence in me. Of course I had confidence in them also. We played the first two in Boston and we won and the people in Montreal were (going) crazy. The third game of that series I had the shutout, so the people went crazy. It was pretty amazing."
Q: What was that whole experience like for you?
A: "The funniest thing about all that was I never had been a Montreal Canadiens fan growing up. I was from Quebec City and Montreal wasn’t my team. My favourite team was the Boston Bruins because I always loved (goalie) Gerry Cheevers and Bobby Orr and all those guys. Cheevers was the coach when I first started my career in the playoffs against Boston. It was pretty amazing for me just in the morning skate. We would practise before or after the Boston Bruins, but I remember I watched a little bit of their practice just to see Ray Bourque, of course. Pete Peeters was the goalie. I was just looking at Gerry Cheevers because he was one of my heroes growing up. It was pretty amazing I was going to play against them and of course we beat them. That was pretty special to me."
Q: What about beating the Quebec Nordiques in the next round?
A: "That was also special because I’m from Quebec City and my father-in-law used to work for the Nordiques. He was in charge of the equipment arriving for the opposing team. At that time they had a very good team. Playing in front of my family and friends was special."
Q: The run ended in the third series, but did you surprise yourself?
A: To be honest, I did. When I played peewee and bantam, I always was a playoff goalie or a tournament goalie. In junior I had success. We never won anything, but I always seemed to play well under pressure. In Montreal it was the same thing. I was surprised (at the same) because I had only played in those four games. But I started to win games and my confidence built up and I knew I could play in that league and I think I proved it the following year. They traded Rick Wamsley and Richard Sevigny and left me alone. I was the No. 1 goalie with only four games experience in the regular season. They traded for Doug Soetaert from Winnipeg, but I was the No. 1 guy. I played over 50 games. That season I proved I could play in that league. I was voted to the rookie all-star team. We lost in the playoffs in the second round to Quebec, but I had a pretty good run. I finished third in the rookie voting to Mario Lemieux and Chris Chelios, so that wasn’t too bad."
Q: What happened the next season when you lost your job to Patrick Roy?
A: "I started with a groin injury. I always had bad knees. They had to tape my knees. Plus my confidence level wasn’t that high. I wasn’t playing as well as I would have liked to. When you’re not there mentally, it seems like everything falls apart. Injuries arrive, so that’s what happened that season. Two to three weeks before the playoffs, Jean Perron, the coach, called me in. We were supposed to play the St. Louis Blues that night and he told me I’d be playing and that they’d be going with me to start the playoffs because I was the only one that had experience. I had a pretty good game, but with two or three minutes remaining I went down and a player fell on my knees and I tore ligaments. I was injured for three or four weeks. I just started to skate with the reserves at the end of the playoffs, but without my equipment."
Q: Did it ever bother you that the team went on to win the Cup and your name was never engraved on it?
A: "Of course, but that was a rule at that time. To have your name on the Stanley Cup, you had to have played at least one game in the final. Maybe I could have dressed for one game because I was starting to skate. Myself and another player, I can’t remember who, don’t have our names on the Cup, but we have a ring."
Q: A lot of people, when they look back on your career, recall you as a player who played well in the playoffs and that was the highlight. Is that a fair assessment?
A: "I think so. My playoff run (in 1984) was pretty amazing, but personally my highlight would be the year after. I had only four games experience and that playoff run, but that doesn’t guarantee you a career after that. To me the highlight was the year after because I played over 50 games, finished third in the rookie voting and made the rookie team and had the fourth-best goals-against average in the league (3.08). I proved to myself that I could play in that league. My highlight – not too many people would agree – was to have that kind of year."
Q: There were a lot of comparisons at the time to you and Ken Dryden. When you look upon that now, was it fair to be compared to him?
A: "I don’t think so. What happened to me or Mr. Dryden was the same story, but you have to remember I was drafted in the 10th round, so I wasn’t regarded as a high draft choice. First to be able to play in the NHL was a big success and after that injuries came and I didn’t play as well as I should. I didn’t play as much as I would like to my last few years. It was a mix of everything. Of course I would have liked to have lasted longer than what I did, but I’m pretty proud of what I did and what I accomplished – even if it was a short career – because I know a lot of players, especially goalies, that were probably better than me in junior league, American Hockey League or IHL. I proved with working hard, which I always did in practice, that you could do something or achieve your goal, which was to play in the NHL. When I look back at my career, it’s pretty amazing that I made it."
