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This weekend, I had the opportunity to referee the Legends Game as part of the KHL All-Star Game in Bratislava, Slovakia. New hip and all, it was great to be back on the ice again in the striped shirt. A few years ago, in my hometown, I reffed the Bruins' Legends Game as part of the 2010 Winter Classic in Fenway Park. This was my first major on-ice refereeing event since then.
After 10 years off the ice following my retirement as an active referee, I got a reminder of just how lonely and challenging this job can be.
It all started out calm and relaxed. Here I am singing the anthem -- as best as I can imitate the unfamiliar words -- before the opening faceoff. If you think it's easy to skate with KHL logos watermarked on your heart, just below your crotch and conjoined to your teammate referee's forearm, please contact me at your earliest convenience about the oceanfront property I'm selling in Trencin.
During my active career, and even off the ice, I always enjoyed signing along with the American and Canadian anthems. I was a lead tenor with Glee Club and Choir for my teacher, the late Edward B. Gammons (father of legendary baseball journalist Peter) for 5 years at Groton School: a nice Irish Catholic boy lustily belting out those Episcopalian songs. I also sang lead soprano for St. Thomas Aquinas Choir in JP as a sixth-, seventh- and eighth grader.
Ah, many hats, many passions. I may not have been much of a hockey player or referee, at least according to my critics. So I may have missed my true calling in life: following the tradition of the great Irish tenors to fame and fortune in a realm where strained vocal chords and not knocked-out teeth are a common job hazard.
At any rate, we got down to the final minute of regulation and the Slovak team was leading the Russian Legends by a 7-6 score with the Russian goalie pulled. Former NHL player Andrei "the Tank" Kovalenko was hauled down.
With .03 seconds left on the clock, I had no choice but to a penalty. Kovalenko scored on the ensuing penalty shot and the game went into OT. Russia won in overtime, 8-7.
To avoid the angry mobs, I guess I won't be buying any property in Bratislava now, and I will be forced to sell off my aforementioned oceanfront home in Trencin. Nevermind those maps that claim Slovakia is a landlocked country.
Look, are you gonna believe Rand McNally or are you gonna believe Paul Stewart?
In all seriousness, though, even in these sorts of games the competitiveness kicks in at a certain point on both sides. Hockey players and coaches hate to lose under any circumstances. Even in a Legends Game, the Slovak side wasn't happy about losing when they were so close to winning.
But, hey, I wasn't the one who hauled down Kovalenko. I just called the penalty.
The KHL All-Star event was a great, two day experience with and including many of the former Soviet, Czech and Slovakian Hockey stars that we all watched when we thought we were the "good guys" and the "Cold War" had nothing to do with ice or hockey.
My brother referee was Peter Orszag, Referee in Chief for Slovakia, and our two KHL Linesmen, Viktor Birin and Alex Zakharenkov did a fantastic job.
The beer, the sausage, the crowd of 10,000, the Hilton Hotel, the chartered planes and luxury buses, autograph sessions, and that Referee sweater (I think I may have to have this one framed): a great time was had by all.
No wonder, Jaromir Jagr wants to play until he's 70. What fun and boy, oh boy, we Hockey Guys like our fun! For an hour, I was a kid again.
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Recent Blogs by Paul Stewart
The Miracle Before the Miracle
Selling the Call: My Issues with the NHL Replay System
Good Morning, Montreal! Know of a Good Dry Cleaner?
Lion Tamers, Staged Fights and Bissonnette
Gettin' Your Kicks
Hockey in the Great Outdoors
New Years, Broken Whistles and the Ol' Goal-in-the-Pants Trick
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Paul Stewart holds the distinction of being the first U.S.-born citizen to make it to the NHL as both a player and referee. On March 15, 2003, he became the first American-born referee to officiate in 1,000 NHL games.
Today, Stewart is an officiating and league discipline consultant for the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) and serves as director of hockey officiating for the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC).
The longtime referee heads Officiating by Stewart, a consulting, training and evaluation service for officials, while also maintaining a busy schedule as a public speaker, fund raiser and master-of-ceremonies for a host of private, corporate and public events. As a non-hockey venture, he is the owner of Lest We Forget.
Stewart is currently working with a co-author on an autobiography.
Blogger •Former NHL Referee • 
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