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The Only Team Officials Worry About? The One in Zebra Stripes |
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Follow Paul on Twitter: @PaulStewart22
In my 42 years in hockey, I have seen some truly great officials, a slew of average-to-good ones and a few officials who should not be getting assignments at all. I've seen ones in great physical condition and, more so in the past than present, a few who knew Tim Horton -- the company, not the late player -- and Dunkin' on a first-name basis. I've seen hulks like Jay Sharrers and diminutive guys like Ray Scapinello. I've work with truly great guys who are friends for life and some with whom I prefer to keep my distance.
You know something I've never seen? I've never seen a referee or linesman who is "biased" toward or against a particular team. I would say so if it was otherwise, and probably would have to be physically separated from the SOB if we were in the same place at the same time.
The truth is, however, that officials are wired to focus on doing their own job. They are part of their own team and it doesn't matter where the official comes from geographically or which team they may have liked in their youth.
Those who say otherwise are clueless. Veteran NHL referee Ian Walsh hails from the Philadelphia area and played for the Junior Flyers in his youth. Does that mean he "roots" for the Flyers when he's officiated games involving Philadelphia? Of course not. Do Francophone officials "root" for the Canadiens? No, their team wears black and white stripes.
officials have a job to do on the ice and they do it. Period. I can honestly say that I never cared one iota what building I was in or which two teams were playing. That's how any official who achieves longevity treats the game. As a player, I was never intimidated by any other player, a hollering coach or any hostile crowd. I was the same as a referee.
I will never deny that there's a human relationship dynamic at work in officiating. On every team, there are some players with whom you have a better rapport than others. There are also some coaches, GMs and other people tied to the various organizations that you like more than others. However, as Kerry Fraser has said -- and I agree with -- even if you get mad at a player or coach, you are not going to deliberately punish the entire team. If you do that, you're also punishing the ones you like. That's just real-life human psychology.
Good officials come to realize over their careers that the players and coaches are under pressure to win and competitive by nature. Most of them are good people off the ice. Well, the opposite is also true. The savvier players and coaches come to realize over their careers is that most officials are good people off the ice and have a tough job to do in the ice. That's how acceptability gets developed, and relationships move on without grudges being held for things said and done on the ice.
There are certain locales around the NHL where the games instantly have more visibility and scrutiny: places like Montreal, Toronto, New York or Philadelphia. The passion is intense and
every controversial play or call gets scrutinized and magnified that much more. I always found those atmospheres to be exciting and fun.
I was born and raised in Boston and played in the NHL with the Quebec Nordiques. That made absolutely zero difference when I worked a Bruins game or a Nordiques/Avalanche game. My loyalty was to the game and to upholding the responsibilities of being an official.
In that way, I was no different than anyone else I've ever known or observed officiate this sport. I can already hear the troglodytes -- information going in one neanderthalic ear and out the other -- say, "Yeah, but the refs really are biased against my team, especially Official X."
People who are drawn to sports officiating have two traits in common: Love of the game, and a desire to contribute to it in some way. In all sports, the Tim Donaghy type of cases are extremely rare and I've (thankfully) never seen a hockey equivalent. I've known some jerks and some people with subpar performance but not a single one who tries to fix games out of self-interest.
Officials who make it in sports take the game's integrity and their own sense of impartiality with the utmost seriousness. I learned these values from the very best teachers: my father and grandfather. Two stories about my dad:
My father reffed a Beanpot game in 1970. Two days later, I was playing for Groton School at Brooks. We go on the ice and who's reffing this Wednesday afternoon, work day, weekday game? Yup, none other than my dad. He was available and took the game during this February vacation day. I had no idea he'd be there.
We won the game, 4-1. Afterward, the Brooks coach -- publicly, in the middle of the common skate changing area -- calls my Dad out for reffing a game that I played in.
My father calmly stood up, looked at the Brooks Coach and said in a calm voice that was just loud enough for everyone to hear, "Paul got the goal and assist on his own. I gave him the four minor penalties he also deserved."
The Brooks coach had no response.
Story two: I was playing in the Boston Park league for Mary Ann's in Brighton and Billy Mahoney. I was a .300 hitter at Groton and hit nearly .400 at Penn as a freshman. I drove my dad to Cleveland Circle, he gets out in front of the Howard Johnson's (now called something else) and walks behind HOJO's to the diamond. He didn't want people to see us together because he was umping and I was playing. I parked the car where the players parked by the power house and joined my teammates.
During one of my at bats, the pitcher threw a high inside fastball. I let it go as the pitch was not hittable.
"Strike one!" the umpire barked.
Next pitch is almost identical. I let it go again.
"Strike two!"
I stepped out of the batter's box and glared back. My father turned his head and refused to make eye contact. I got back in the box.
The third pitch started out inside and I was going to at least try to foul it off but then it froze me as it suddenly broke sharply down and away. It was one hell of a nasty slider.
"Steeeeerike three!"
I turned and walked back to the dugout.
Driving home, I casually asked him, "Did you think those three pitches were good enough to hit?"
Cold as ice, he replied, "A .300 hitter hits anything close. You were looking for a gift. Swing the bat."
These lessons were hard-wired into me before I ever pulled on referee's sweater for the first time. "Bias" never entered my mind when I walked into the rink nor ever crossed the threshold at our house.
Now, mind you, I was blessed to be the grandson of U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame NHL referee and longtime Major League Baseball umpire Bill Stewart and the son of Bill Stewart Jr., who was every bit as good of an official as my granddad despite not working in pro leagues. Nevertheless, the code that officials of all backgrounds from all around the hockey world uphold is identical.
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Paul Stewart holds the distinction of being the first U.S.-born person to make it to the NHL as both a player and referee. On March 15, 2003, he became the only American-born referee to officiate in 1,000 NHL games.
Blogger •Former NHL Referee • 
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