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Let me tell you a little story from my playing days. One night, I was playing against the Whalers. I saw Mark Howe coming and dropped him heavily with a body check. He got up very unsteadily and went off the ice.

My first thought: "Oh, crap. Gordie is going to get me."

I don't care how tough you were on the ice or off the ice. Even among policeman types such as myself in my playing days, Gordie was an intimidating opponent. No one wanted to face the wrath of Gordie, and not just because he was among the best of the best in our game's history. He always lived by the credo that it was better to give than receive.

Off the ice, it meant that Gordie was a kind, gentle and generous man. On the ice, Gordie was plenty generous, too -- generous in giving out free bruises, lost teeth and, if you really crossed him, stitches -- but the polar opposite of kind and gentle. There was purpose to it, though. It wasn't blind rage.

I had my head on a swivel, just waiting for Gordie to pay me back for the hit on Mark. Like Gordie, Mark was a highly skilled player. Unlike his dad, Mark was not a big guy. He was someone who was much more a finesse player who relied on his smarts and skill than someone who would bowl you over or create space with his elbows.

Finally, I found myself in the corner with Marty Howe. I wondered if Marty was going to try to take a shot at me, but he didn't. I asked him if Gordie was angry about the hit on Mark.

"No, it was a clean hit," Marty said. "No problem."

Even within the normal course of a game, going into the corners with Gordie was like the Red Badge of Courage. It was a painful sacrifice to make. Very few dared to initiate a hit on Gordie, even in his 40s and 50s, and no one was foolish enough to try a dirty hit. He might not get you back that night but, rest assured, there would a payback.

With Mark Messier, it was the same way. He'd hit to hurt and he had a long memory if he perceived a dirty hit. Something else the two had in common: they very rarely left themselves in position to get hit in the first place. They both had awareness of their surroundings and they were the ones in control. If you happened to get them cleanly, no problem, but good luck trying it a second time.

A couple of seasons ago, I wrote a blog calling Milan Lucic a fraudulent tough guy in my estimation. I took some heat for it, especially around Boston, but people misunderstood the point.

My point about Lucic is that he puffs out his chest and fancies himself to be some sort of latter-day Messier or Gordie Howe, but he's nowhere even close to that category. He has a spoiled brat attitude -- I can hit you as I please but you can't hit me -- and loses control very easily if he does get hit.

Last night's incident with Logan Couture was a perfect case in point. If Lucic should have been mad at himself. He left himself completely vulnerable and the hip check he took was 100 percent clean (and also seen in clear view by the referee).

You know what this situation called for? Nothing. Skate away. At most, file the guy's number away in your memory back and, on some future night when he's lined up, settle up.

Instead, Lucic let the frustration of the hit and the frustration of the scoreboard get the best of him; something that happens with this guy too often. He made a beeline for Couture at the bench, who likely incensed him even further by laughing at him, and wound up with a match penalty.

To be honest, from the video I saw, I could not discern what Lucic did that merited a match penalty. The linesman seemed to be the one to notice and report it. Without being privy to the officials' report to the league, I don't know the specifics of why the call -- which carries an automatic review for potential supplementary discipline -- was made. Perhaps the linesman saw Lucic's hand get up in Couture's eyes or believed there was some intent to injure. It was hard to tell, and I could not notice anything from the TV replay view.

Match penalty or not -- and my gut feeling here is no supplementary discipline will take place here but at least a game misconduct was in order -- the bigger issue at work here is that Lucic needs to get better control of himself. One of the team leaders such as LA captain Dustin Brown or a respected assistant coach needs to pull him aside and say, "What the hell is wrong with you? You need to learn how to take a hit sometimes."

Otherwise, all Lucic does is puts a big target on his own sweater with an invitation to come hit him. It does not seem that opponents are 1/10th as scared of him as he seems to think they are. He's not Gordie Howe or Mark Messier or even a Clark Gillies. Man up, Lucic.

Respect the game, your team and your opponent and you will get a lot more respect in return than your "I'm gonna hurt you" bravado and childish tantrums when things don't go your way. The game's true tough guys do not need that sort of stuff to create legitimate intimidation.


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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.

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.