Follow Paul on Twitter: @paulstewart22
I am in my ninth season as the ECAC's director of hockey officiating. I spent the last three seasons working with officials in the KHL and its feeder leagues. Before that, I was an on-ice referee from 1983 through 2003, including 17 years in the NHL and reffed 1,010 games.
Over that span, I have come to have strong beliefs about the work ethic and professional approach referees and linesmen should take toward their work.
One of my golden rules as an official was a strong belief that it was my responsibility to go wherever I was told to go. No game was "beneath" me to referee, and I owed to both teams and to the paying customers in the stands to treat whatever game I worked as the most important hockey game in the world that night.
Even when my boss at the NHL used to deliberately assign me a logistically inconvenient assignment schedule, I went where I was told to go when I was told to go there. I simply kept up what I had done when John McCauley -- for quite a different and more honorable purpose -- sent me here, there and everywhere in my early years. McCauley did it as a means of helping me to develop as an official and gain experience at various levels and leagues across North America.
I have always viewed with disdain the sort of officials who try to cherry-pick their assignments. These are the one who gripe and sulk if they don't get their first choice of locales and/or games. At least the majority do not let it carry over onto the ice once the game starts. Anyone who goes out and dogs it with a less-than-professional effort deserves not to work again.
Likewise, I have no time or patience for those who repeatedly refuse all but their Choice A assignment or, worse, threaten take assignments elsewhere the same night if they don't get what they want. Either you want to prioritize and take pride in working with the league's crest on your sweater or you don't. If you don't, by all means feel free to permanently take your services elsewhere.
I'm not talking about making some extra money by working other leagues to fill in gaps in your schedule. That's fine. We all have make money. I'm talking about choosing not to work when asked so you can work elsewhere that same night. That sort of attitude is not OK by any assignor worth a damn.
Another pet peeve of mine -- and I just heard this term used again the other day in the media in the context of officiating in NHL preseason games -- is the notion of "game management." Actually, during that span of 31 years, I have heard from many well-meaning people that it's important for officials to "manage" the game.
I disagree. Officials shouldn't manage. They should officiate. If I wanted to hire managers, I'd hang a sign that said "Managers Wanted, Inquire Within. Must Have Skates."
Managers, well, manage. They compromise. They worry about the appearance of balancing the scales. Often, they wind up splitting the baby in half like the Biblical judgment by King Solomon; except that they actually go through with it to negative consequences rather than employing psychology to arrive at a correct and just decision in tough situations.
I want officials, not managers. I want referees and linesmen who make decisive black-and-white rulings even when there is a lot of gray area in a tough situation. I want tough-minded arbiters who are quick on their feet and quick with their minds while showing calm under pressure.
The game also needs officials who can keep up with the physical rigors of the sport. Time waits for nobody. I dealt with it late in my own active officiating career. My body was breaking down on me and I had to be honest with myself that I could no longer keep up the way I used to. My mind was still sharp. The instincts and hockey sense were still there. But the ol' hips didn't lie and I needed to listen to my body.
Time marches on: it's as simple and inevitable as that. To those that have served as officials in the past, I sincerely thank you for your service. However, just like an older veteran player who may no longer be able to sustain the pacing of the game, an official's physical ability deteriorates over time.
If I (or another assignor) has told you we don't have assignments for you, don't take it personally or as a sign that your past work is not appreciated. As I wrote, time waits for no man. I dealt with it and so will you.
Ultimately, I have to make decisions based on the needs of the game using my experience in judging an official's ability to do the job. The physical, mental and decision-making demands are very, very high in this profession. That's why not many folks can do it and why even veterans can't take these abilities for granted.
If you aren't with us, then the decision has been made. It's not a pleasant part of my job. However, just like when I used to have to make tough calls on the ice and deal with the fallout, I am being paid to make decisions and judge. It's not personal. It's hockey.
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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.