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Absorb What is Useful, Work on Your Weaknesses, Serve the Game

July 25, 2018, 8:17 AM ET [1 Comments]
Paul Stewart
Blogger •Former NHL Referee • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Follow Paul on Twitter: @paulstewart22

I was far from a great natural talent as a hockey player. When I first took up officiating, I may not have been the most naturally gifted referee, either. However, I dare say that there are few people in the game over the course of my career who have had the same degree of passion for the game and single-minded devotion to working at my craft.

Bruce Lee wrote a book called "Tao of Jeet Kune Do," trying to explain both his philosophy and the physical applications behind his self-invented martial art, which took elements from a wide array of different styles. The philosophy was passed along to his student, Dan Inosanto, who wrote a book called "Absorb What is Useful." The title was inspired by one of Lee's favorite sayings: "Absorb what is useful, reject what it useless, add what is essentially your own."

I have always found this to be great advice for hockey as well.

When I played, as most readers know, my job was to be a policeman on the ice. I knew what was expected of me, and I prepared accordingly. I knew which player(s) on the next opponent that I was likely to fight, and how I'd approach the fight.

I studied boxing and martial arts (aikido). When I played for the Cincinnati Stingers in the WHA, I used to spar on occasion with the late Aaron Pryor. He was a small welterweight but it made no difference because his hands were so fast, especially in throwing combinations. He was also a very smart fighter. There's a reason why the Hawk had a 39-1-0 record with 35 knockouts. But while I admired Pryor's boxing mastery, I never aspired to be a boxer. I was a hockey player.

On the ice, I worked endlessly at becoming a better all-around player. I would ask for as much extra skating as I could get. I worked countless hours on my puck skills. Something that Fred Shero said to me when I was a student-athlete at the University of Pennsylvania always stuck with me. Too many players work mostly at what they're already good at doing, rather than what they need to improve.

As an official, I took a similar approach. I received a lot of old-school coaching, and I took something from every one of my mentors. The one thing that can't be taught is feel for the game, and that was my biggest strength. But I had lots and lots of work to do on the technical aspects, Rule Book mastery and the psychology of officiating.

People often ask me whether I enjoyed playing or officiating more. It's a tough question to answer. Like every kid who plays hockey, I dreamed of playing in the NHL. Although I had a great respect for the officials -- how could I not, given who my grandfather and father were -- I longed to play. That dream came true.

Now, let's be honest. In my fantasies, I would have loved to played the game with the grace of Jean Beliveau or the combination of toughness and skill that Gordie Howe epitomized. But that was never going to be me, no matter how hard I worked. I had to find my own way to make it, and even though I "only" played 21 games in the NHL and scored two goals to go along with my 74 penalty minutes, it was 21 more games and two more goals in the NHL than many more naturally gifted hockey players ever get to experience.

As an official, I refereed 1,010 games in the NHL. I reffed in the 1987 Canada Cup, which was the best hockey I ever witnessed. I reffed Calder Cup Finals. I reffed in the NHL All-Star Game. So there's no doubt which side of the game was my true calling in life.

On a superficial level, what I loved about the officiating side was that I got to be on the ice the entire game. As a player, I sometimes skated only a few shifts in a game. There were also plenty of games in which I dressed but sat on the bench from the opening faceoff until the final buzzer; I was there in the event things got rough or as someone who could play either wing or defense if our team had an injury.

On a more profound level, however, what I love about officiating is that your prime mission is to serve the game itself. Rather than victory for your team and more ice time for yourself, the game itself is your focus.

The good of the game -- keeping it fair, keeping it safe and judging objectively -- is your guide and the Rule Book is your shield. At its root, this belief is what I've tried to impress upon officials that I've trained, supervised and directed in my years since retiring as an active referee.

That is not to say that the officiating realm is not highly competitive in its own right. Amateur hockey officials are all independent contractors. They can do what they want, when they want with whom they want.

When I get good people in the amateur levels, I have to compete with every other league out there. Some leagues are already assigning games well into December so they can load up people and thus make them unavailable. Nice try, but I'm not worried.

I am very proud of the state of officiating in the ECAC. Our crews are fixtures in the Frozen Four, right up through the championship game, and we have many fine men and women who are every bit as devoted to their jobs as the coaches and players.

The other assignors -- some of whom are longtime friends whom I hold in high esteem on a personal level -- can do what they want and what they need to do. I understand and don't have a problem with how they run their business. Their games are important, too. I get that. Competition is part of hockey. I don't back off from that.

For those reasons and for the fact that we have taken Officiating off the front burner and let the players and teams be the focus, I think and feel, we are going about this the right way.
In the meantime, we stress that our people are the best conditioned, best coached and best supported with all that Officials and teams would expect in a top-shelf manner.

I once walked the walk and now stand behind the talk: Whatever I do is always for the good of the game, as I see it. I expect no less from the officials I work with, at least if they are continue working with me. If an Official works for me, much like that famous advertisement for Hebrew National kosher meats, they answer to a higher authority.

My people know what's required and are proud to deliver what's expected of them. There is a lot of pride in our group in serving the game. That's why my officials are the BEST at what they do. I wouldn't have it any other way.

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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 hockey officiating for the ECAC.
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