I do not personally know George Parros. I retired as an NHL referee before Parros worked his way up to the NHL, so our paths never crossed on the ice. However, I know him by reputation within the hockey community and, during his playing days, he was a player after my own heart. I enjoyed following his career.
I had to chuckle at the P.C. Police who object to Parros being named the NHL's new director of the Department of Player Safety simply because of the role he played on the ice. As someone of very similar background -- an Ivy League educated hockey player who realized all along that the only realistic shot at the NHL was to provide muscle and toughness, and then worked my way up on the "other" side of the game (in my case, by refereeing 1,010 NHL games and then moving into the administrative, training and supervisory realms) -- I think George and I are something of kindred spirits.
From what I know of Parros, he is quite hockey savvy and knows very well where the line is drawn between hard-nosed hockey and dirty play. He is also a man of his convictions, and has worked very hard in his post-playing days to get to where he is now.
Naturally, there are folks who are eager to knock him down before he even gets started. Why? Solely because he was a so-called enforcer -- I refuse to use the "g-word", because Parros was an honorable tough guy -- during his playing days. Someone need not have been a skills player to know the game thoroughly. In fact, it is often the role players and tough guys who have the best hockey minds because they have less God-given talent.
"Think about the optics. What will the hockey haters think?" worry the Nervous Nelly types.
Here's a novel idea: Rather than worrying about what those who will never like or respect our sport think, hockey has to tend to its own house. We have a myriad of problems. George Parros' role during his playing days isn't one of them.
Besides, and I hate to say this but it is the truth, you know what the non-hockey people think about Parros heading DOPS? Nothing at all. If they're even aware at all, they'll make their standard wisecracks ("went to a fight and a hockey game broke out", blah blah blah) and then go right back to ignoring our sport. They couldn't care less. The NHL could appoint Saint Peter as the head of DOPS and it would barely cause a ripple of praise.
Shakespeare wrote, "All the world's the stage and all the men and women are merely players." We all have our roles to fill. George Parros found a niche and made a living performing one of hockey's most difficult jobs. That's the extent of it. It doesn't define his character, his knowledge or his qualifications for the job.
I, for one, think George's Princeton education and the dedication he's shown in learning the sport from all sides make him a very good candidate for the tough job ahead. I have skepticism about how effective he can be, but that stems from my belief that his bosses in the NHL -- we all have bosses, and his case, it's the Hockey Ops department of the NHL -- will keep him tethered to the way things have always been done. Honestly, I felt that we never got see what Stephane Quintal might have been able to do, because he was essentially installed as a figurehead.
As with every realm of administration, where it is hockey or the business world, there are always politics involved. Always pressures that come both from within and the outside on what to focus on and how severely to discipline certain infractions. It's a balancing act that goes beyond just one's knowledge of what unfolded on the ice, studious review of a play in question and intuitive understanding of what's fair and foul play.
George Parros is stepping into a tough and thankless job. But I, for one, have confidence that he's a thoroughly qualified person to do it. Best of luck and success to him. As we all work to try to make our sport a better and safer game, we could use more people of his qualifications, not fewer.
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Follow Paul on Twitter: @paulstewart22
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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. After his retirement, he began a long career as a collegiate hockey officiating director, officiating trainer and supervisor, and an officiating and supplemental discipline consultant to the KHL.