Follow Paul on Twitter: @paulstewart22
I am back in the United States now after my transcontinental trip. Tomorrow, I will be refereeing the inaugural Legends Classic charity hockey game at the Prudential Center in Newark. The game will pit Team NHL versus the Russian Legends team.
The game will prominently feature Devils alumni and a host of other former NHL players against a squad of Russian notables. All proceeds from the game will benefit the Devils Care Foundation and Monroe Township High School hockey player Mikey Nichols who suffered a broken neck in an on-ice accident during a game this season.
Game time at the Rock tomorrow night is 7 p.m. eastern.
The Team NHL side is led by a host of Devils alumni. Participants include Ken Daneyko, Bruce Driver, New Jersey native Jim Dowd, Sergei Brylin, Jay Pandolfo, Colin White, Grant Marshall goaltender Johan Hedberg. Sergei Starikov and Bobby Carpenter. Bobby will have the opportunity to play as a teammate with daughter Alex, a silver medalist with Team USA at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi. Other players on the NHL side include longtime Philadelphia Flyers star Brian Propp, New York Rangers star and Sasson jeans aficionado Ron Duguay, tough guy Mark Janssens, and longtime NHL defenseman Jaroslav Modry. Goa
The Russian side includes Alexei Yashin, Sergei Makarov (serving as head coach), goaltender Andrei Malkov, Dmitry Subbotin (longtime star defenseman in Russia), Vladimir Torzhkov and Alexander Medvedev (General Director of Gazprom Exports).
It should be a good time. Come on out and help support some worthy causes.
I am a veteran of officiating these sorts of games, and there is always a good time to be had before, during and after the game. As I always say, keep me skating and I'm a happy man! I might even get reason to call a penalty shot or two for old time's sake (wink).
I will post pictures and share some of the fun later this week on my Twitter page as well as my HockeyBuzz blog.
At the Rock with the "Stew Crew", including my sons McCauley and Maxwell
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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.