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The other day, I drove my son McCauley to Foxboro to watch him play for the U18 Kings and take in some other games. While I was there, I caught up and kibitzed a bit with some folks I hadn't seen in a while: former NHL power forwards John LeClair and Kevin Stevens. Both guys were there for the same reason I was. I also saw friends such as Union College head coach Rick Bennett and a host of NHL scouts whom I've know seemingly forever, including Lester Patrick Award honoree Bob Crocker.

I always enjoyed John as a player. He simply went about his business and never complained. What's more he was very, very good at what he did. In many ways, big John was a clone of his Flyers predecessor Tim Kerr. Both were the strong, silent type and character guys whom you knew -- even in a detached outside observer role such as being a referee -- that his teammates appreciated as someone with whom you'd want to share a foxhole in the heat of battle.

John and I rarely said much to each other when he played and I officiated but I always a sense of mutual respect. I recall one time that I called him on an offensive zone interference penalty when his team was on a power play and down by a goal. The infraction was probably accidental but it affected the play and, thus, it had to be called.

No doubt LeClair was frustrated, but he simply skated to the box and did not complain. Things like that do not go unnoticed, and are appreciated.

In talking with John the other day, we realized we had something else in common. He has stayed close through the years to his University of Vermont head coach Mike Gilligan. I know the family well, because Billy Gilligan (Mike's brother) was my roommate on the Cincinnati Stingers and we became close friends.

John always struck me during his playing days as a very focused athlete. In talking to him the other day, I saw he has a good sense of humor and is laid back off the ice.

When I reminisced a bit with John, Kevin Stevens reminded me of a time during his Pittsburg Penguins days where I called him for a penalty and, with my back turned to him, he banged on the glass with his stick. Immediately, I wheeled around and gave him a 10-minute misconduct before skating away.

"Well, you deserved it," I said. "Hey, I could have tossed you, but I didn't."

Kevin laughed. "Yeah, you're right."

I hated tossing players. I knew the fans had paid to see them play and their teams needed them However, if certain lines got crossed and I had no choice, I would not hesitate to do what I needed to do.

Stevens and I joked about the times I used to get into it with Mario Lemieux. We had plenty of exchanges on the ice, but I never disliked Mario even on the night I tossed him from a game. On the contrary, I always viewed him as the most naturally gifted player I have ever seen -- Gretzky included -- and I marveled at the things he could do on the ice.

On the night I tossed Mario out, I had to do it because the player skated up and deliberately bumped me.

Said Mario, "I'm the show. People are here to see me, not you."

I put my finger on his chest, pushed him away and said, "Well, they're not going to see you any more tonight. You're gone!"

Years later, Mario and I struck up a friendship. We hugged at a Hockey Fights Cancer event and have been friends ever since. Actually, there was an NHL owner who felt I shouldn't referee any of Mario's games thereafter because we hugged. After my retirement, I had a fun experience making a dinner-bet wager with Mario and Mark Messier at a Legends Game in Quebec City. Whenever we see each other nowadays, Mario always greets me warmly.

At any rate, I had fun talking with John and Kevin. I wish we could have spent longer chatting but we all had our kids' games to go watch. Such is the hockey life. We live in a small world and I wouldn't trade it for anything.


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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 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.