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Be Yourself and Let Players -- Within Reason -- Be Themselves |
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Follow Paul on Twitter: @paulstewart22
When giving advice to aspiring or current officials, I often come back to the concept of acceptability and how it is an important element in becoming a successful official. It is also a two-way street between the officials and the players (coaches as well, to a lesser extent). It certainly doesn't mean you will always agree or never clash, but it means you can sometimes agree to disagree and just move onward.
Apart from the technical aspects of being a good official -- skating, conditioning and positioning as well as thorough Rule Book knowledge -- it also matters how you interact. Be yourself and, within reason, let the players be themselves. Outsiders might be surprised at just how much enjoyable officiating can be when you truly love the game and live to be on the ice. It forms unspoken common bonds, for one thing.
No one who ever saw me ref ever doubted that I enjoyed my time on the ice. I could call it work and "arduous" responsibilities but I will leave that descriptor to one of my former bosses who actually tried to impress us by using (and sometimes misusing) two-dollar words when a one- dollar word would be fine.
Frankly, I have been doing the administration of officiating, assigning games, suspending players, talking to players, coaches and officials, even dealing with some fans and the dreaded press interviews along the way but I never considered it a chore. I was doing what I liked and always felt I was contributing the game and to the fans who enjoy watching.
Sometimes, I think back on the many conversations that I had with players and coaches, trying to stay on an even keel, keeping the game in hand without smothering it. It was about feel, fun and a frequently used idea that all clamor for: consistency.
By consistency, I do not mean consistency with my peers, whether it was Kerry Fraser, Bill McCreary, Dave Newell or Andy Van Hellemond. Every official sees the game a little bit differently. No two players see the game exactly alike -- sometime, when you have no emotional stake in a game outcome, pay attention afterwards to have various players describe what went on out there on the ice and see how much even teammates differ in their perspectives. The same goes for officials.
As such, by consistency, I mean consistency with myself. I let the players know that I knew what was going on and that they could be themselves and go play. I was a a benevolent dictator of sorts. Did it help my acceptability factor among players that I had been an NHL/WHA player myself? Perhaps to some degree, but not as much as one might think. I knew how players thought the game, but I had made the transformation to perceiving the game through the eyes of an official.
My decision was final, but I was listening because I understood that there are different ways to interpret a play and the two teams will always latch onto whichever interpretation best suits their quest to gain an edge. Sometimes, when a player said to me "C'mon, Stewy, you know better than that," and applied players' logic to their argument, I would see their point and then explain my rationale. Some players understood my points better than others, and often we still disagreed. That was perfectly OK, so long as they knew I was the one ultimately in control.
One last thing, I usually had someplace to be after the game. For me, 2 hours and 20 was plenty to be in the arena wearing a polyester uniform and sweating. Once the game was over, it was a done deal.
I did have my favorite guys to be out there with on the ice: Petr Klima, Jags, Twister, Tie Domi, Eddie the Eagle...Mess, Hunts, Shee Cat and a few more. I especially liked the trainers like Pete and Peter in LA. Doc and Frosty. It never influenced a single call in, by I really liked coaches such as Foxy Dineen, Taz and even Iron Mike.
There was a constant call on me to help the game along, to help the game be exciting by letting the players be themselves within reason. Now, my generation is considered yesterday's news in the game by some.
Don't believe me? Just ask the keyboard warriors of the world. As the Corsicans -- the know-nothing stat parrots who believe themselves to be hockey experts because they generate so-called advanced stat charts (which are really just a way of making fundamental hockey ideas much more complicated than necessary). Never mind those who, you know, actually played and officiated at the highest level for years.
Does the game evolve? Absolutely, at that's a good thing. As we get older and it is no longer feasible to be active players or officials, we find new ways to contribute and keep the game growing. Those who don't adapt fall by the wayside.
Ah, but some things never change. Human nature being one. As such, the principles beyond and desirability of attaining mutual acceptability are truly timeless.
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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 serves as director of hockey officiating for the ECAC.
Blogger •Former NHL Referee • 
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