Follow Paul on Twitter: @paulstewart22
The other day, a Facebook friend posted the meme below on my page. I had to laugh because there is some truth to it. To paraphrase Yogi Berra, the hockey game ain't over til the refs finish the paperwork.
As an official, one is accountable for anything unusual that happens during the game. Filing incident reports is part of the turf but not one of the more enjoyable tasks that arise.
As a ref, I couldn't hate the players for trying. I understood their reasons but I needed to keep in mind that it was my job to keep it fair and to keep it safe. When a player might go really, really overboard, with a stick swing or something equally stupid, I had to draw the line. I had to get firm and hang tough. I'd call a penalty in a game and then a day later, sit across from Marty McSorley, Dave Brown, Stephane Richer or some other guy who wandered too far and got a MATCH penalty (which necessitated a report to the league).
Facing a suspension and listening to my unemotional and factual report, inevitably the heat would rise in the hearing room. More than once, I got challenged to "step out side." With a laugh and without blinking, I would say that stepping outside wouldn't bother me but that would only add to the other guy's problems and his misery.
Inevitably, Brian O'Neil would get things calm and my final and personal response after my report would be when the player would say to me, "Jeez Stewy, you used to play tough. You should know why I hit him."
I would always respond with this, "I don't mind that you hit him, but next time, leave the stick out of it. I never used a stick, just my fists."
Believe me, these reports and hearings were things I'd gladly have lived without but they were just part of the turf.
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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.
Today, Stewart is the director of officiating for the ECAC.
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.