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As soon as I traded in my playing uniform for a striped shirt, I lost all interest in the crest on players' sweaters. Even today, when I watch games away from my job of evaluating officials, I take notice of what players and coaches are trying do but my "rooting interest" is for a good game.
With that being said, there are some players that I can't help but pull for to do well individually. That starts, of course, with my sons, McCauley and Maxwell. It also applies to my "Russian blind-side son," Dmitry Antipin. Dmitry finished the American Hockey League season with Bridgeport this season, dressing in four games and registering his first pro point.
At the NHL level, there are fewer and fewer players that were in the league during my active refereeing career. I'm now eleven years removed from my 1,010th and final game. I do have interest in seeing how the holdover players fare from year to year. Of course, anyone who has lasted that long in the NHL is clearly a good player.
During the off-season, I am going to do a few blogs about a couple of still-active players -- Martin Brodeur and Jaromir Jagr -- who were top stars in the League during my refereeing career. For today, I'm going to talk about one who is still in the playoffs.
Forty-three-year-old Anaheim Ducks forward Teemu Selanne will retire from the NHL at the end of the playoffs. He will take with him 684 career regular season goals, 1,457 regular season points and the admiration of everyone who has ever had the pleasure of watching him play and dealing with him as a person.
Plain and simple, the next person that I meet that doesn't like Teemu will be the first. He is truly one of those special players who transcends the uniform he wears. Although he's called the "Finnish Flash", he also transcends his nationality. Selanne isn't just an icon in his native Finland, he's a treasure of the game.
When Selanne won an Olympic bronze medal this year at the expense of Team USA after the Finns --through superior team play -- knocked off the favored Russians in the quarterfinals, I can't tell you how many otherwise disappointed Americans and Russians commented that they were at least "happy for Teemu." It takes a rare and special player to reach that sort of stature.
It was a pleasure to referee some of Selanne's games when he scored 76 goals as a rookie with the (original) Winnipeg Jets. It was an honor to see his chemistry with Paul Kariya when they were linemates during Selanne's first go-around with the Ducks. But even more than that, he was always a first-class person who treated the game with the respect it deserved.
Teemu has always been the sort of gentlemanly but highly competitive skill player in the Jean Beliveau mode that I fantasized of being when I was young; but fully realized that toughness would be my ticket to a career. Back when I was playing, I never bothered other team's skill players when they were someone in that mold.
I asked him the night after he got traded to Anaheim if he needed my help moving his cars to Southerb California. He has a collection that rivals even Jay Leno's old collection. It was more of a comment to help make him chuckle and to reach out to help him relax. I had that much respect for him and I know what putting on a new uniform can be like. Sometimes butterflies are massing in your gut.
The other night, in Game One of the Ducks versus Kings series, Selanne scored his first goal of these playoffs to put Anaheim ahead in the third period (before LA came back to win the game in overtime). I was happy for him, especially after Teemu was a healthy scratch for one game in Anaheim's first-round series with Dallas.
Without a doubt, scratching Selanne was a gut-wrenching decision for Bruce Boudreau. I have known Bruce for many years, and I guarantee that it was something the Anaheim coach felt horrible for doing but felt was necessary. Am I surprised that Selanne has three points in his last two games, including a pair of assists in the clincher against the Stars and the go-ahead goal last game against LA? No, I'm not surprised a bit.
There have been rumors that Selanne might rejoin his original Finnish team, Jokerit, next year. The Helsinki-based team will be joining the KHL starting in 2014-15. Whether it will work out that way or not, I have no idea.
I will say this: If he does continue playing beyond his final year in the NHL, it will make my work with the Kontinental Hockey League even a little more enjoyable to have a few chances to watch his games in person again. If not, I will still have nothing but fond thoughts of one of the games all time greats.
Before that happens, Selanne has one final NHL playoff run to attend to. His goal the other night was his 42nd career playoff goal in his 123rd game. I have a feeling he's still got a few more left in him before all is said and done.
By the way, Teemu, I'm still available if you need any help moving your cars.
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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. Stewart also maintains 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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