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During Louie DeBrusk's NHL career, I refereed quite a few game he played during his days with the Edmonton Oilers and Phoenix Coyotes. He was a player I respected: an honorable tough guy who understood his role and played it to the best of abilities. He had once been a 30-goal, point-per-game player in junior hockey but he knew he wasn't going to make it the NHL on a scoring line.
I remember one game in particular. As part of the never-ending rivalry between the Oilers and Calgary Flames, DeBrusk and Sandy McCarthy had a running series of battles. One night, as soon as I saw both guys were skating on the game's first shift, I knew full well it was just a matter of time until the powder keg exploded. Before the opening faceoff, I said hello to Louie and Sandy.
Then I said, "Can we just get this out of the way now?"
I dropped the opening faceoff and DeBrusk and McCarthy dropped the gloves. They grappled and punched for well over a minute. For those of you who've never been involved in a hockey fight, it is incredibly tiring when a bout goes on this long. Finally, both guys were spent. They separated peacefully as the linesmen moved in and skated off to the box. Sandy got the better of the fight but Louie stood toe-to-toe with him throughout.
Both said yes. They kept their word, too. The rest of the game was physical and hard-nosed but relatively clean.
The other night, as I watched the clips of Louie's son, Jake, scoring his first NHL goal, and then Louie DeBrusk well up with tears of happiness in the stands, I thought back to that long-ago night. Every father wants the best for his son, regardless of what path his boy takes in life or in sports.
Louie made his living in hockey with his fists but that was only because he had to. Jake was a Bruins first-round pick in 2015. He's a skilled player, not a fighter, but even skilled players have to work at their craft. Now Jake is in the NHL, and the pride in his son was simply overwhelming for his dad. It was a very human moment that transcended sports and spoke directly to the bond between father and son. I don't know if even Jake himself can appreciate how much that moment meant to his dad but someday, when he has grown kids of his own, suspect he will.
Likewise, just as Louie DeBrusk showed his character and toughness in that long ago marathon fight with Sandy McCarthy -- one of the biggest and toughest guys of their playing era -- he showed what dwells deep in his heart as a father. I can guarantee you the goal in Jake's first NHL game meant even more to the father who witnessed it than to the son who scored it.
My congratulations go out to the DeBrusks. I am sure Jake's burgeoning career will always be a source of pride to his father.
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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.