Follow Paul on Twitter: @paulstewart22
I have been enjoying the Olympic hockey games. There is something special about international hockey with the best players in the world competing. The game is taken to a higher level and underdog teams have a way of becoming greater than the sum of their individual parts.
Watching the Olympics made me realize how much I miss the World Cup of Hockey (formerly Canada Cup). It is time to bring that tournament back, especially if the NHL is determined not to continue participating in the Olympics beyond the current tournament. From all indications, that's the direction things seem to be heading.
My real breakthrough as a young official came when I refereed in the 1987 Canada Cup -- including the classic 6-5 double-overtime game in the finals between victorious Canada and the runner-up USSR that may have been the best hockey ever played. I did not keep many of my referee sweaters from my career but that was a real special one to me.
I received strong feedback for my work at the 1987 tourney, and became a full-time NHL referee thereafter. I also had the honor of refereeing in the 1991 Canada Cup.
The other day, I saw the old Canada Cup trophy, which the former Soviet Union won in 1981 over Canada. Goaltending legend Vladislav Tretiak played out of his mind in that tourney for the Russians. The tournament win restored some pride to the Russians one year after Tretiak was on the sidelines as Vladimir Myshkin at the USSR squad was stunned by Team USA in the next-to-last game of the Miracle on Ice at the 1980 Olympics in Lake Placid.
At any rate, the Canada Cup sits on display in a trophy case in Moscow at a Metro Stop (Vorobyovy Gory) on the Red line by historic Luzhniki Stadium and Dynamo's home rink. This is how it looks to the commuters passing by:
Personally, I think we should have the World Cup every two years: one set of games in North America and one set in Russia and the other major European countries. By the way, as anyone who has been paying attention to the Swiss national team over the last eight years can attest, Switzerland needs to be part of the event from now on.
What sayeth the vox populi?
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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 an officiating and league discipline consultant for the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) and serves as director of hockey officiating for the Eastern College Athletic Conference (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.
Stewart is currently working with a co-author on an autobiography.