Retired, staying that way, and a little irritated. Scott Stevens put it plainly.

Stevens reacted swiftly to a tale in a Jersey paper that inflated his “you never know” comments into a headline claiming he might come out of retirement. In Stevens’ words: “No way.”

“It’s nothing. Nothing at all,” Stevens said. “There’s not a thing to it. I never say never, but I’m 99 percent sure I’m not coming back.”

Stevens announced his retirement last month after a 22-year career that will surely put him in the Hall of Fame. He cited the lockout layoff and the chance to be with his family as his main reasons for hanging up his skates at age 41.