Unity is the key distinguishing marks of any good hockey team. It doesn't matter what league you are talking about, whether it's midget, junior, minor pro, the KHL or another European elite league or the NHL. No matter how individual talent there is, the team is doomed to failure unless there's a united we stand, divided we fall mentality that is placed above anyone's personal goals.
Every team talks about unity. Coaches preach it non-stop. But talking about it and actually demonstrating it on a consistent basis are two different things.
In good times, they push each other to be even better. In tough times, they stand together and never throw a teammate under the bus, especially not in public. When an opponent or outsider takes liberties on a teammate, the others instinctively come to their comrade's defense.
Having been both an NHL player and an NHL referee, I can tell you that the very same dynamic applies to officials. Referees and linesmen are teammates on the ice, and they need to function as such in order to effective and make the right calls. That includes standing up for another when a teammate get mistreated by a player or coach.
As most of you know, my role as a player was that of an enforcer. I took a lot of pride in it, because it was the one way I could make a living in this game. I was big and strong, and I knew how to fight. I certainly lost my share, but I will add that I never quit battling and was never intimidated by anyone.
I have always taken the well-being of my teammates very seriously, and I will never apologize for the protective instincts that I have both on and off the ice. As a referee, I took it more personally when someone treated my teammates poorly than even when they yelled and cursed at me.
When I wrote my recent "Referees and Maitre D's" blog (which you can access below if you have not read it), I listed Steve Yzerman among the players I least enjoyed dealing with on the ice. That took many readers by surprise, because Yzerman generally has a strong public reputation as someone who was a great team leader and a key force in the Detroit Red Wings' success.
Listen, as a player, Yzerman was absolutely one of the greats. He also evolved into a player who commanded a lot of respect among other players as a team leader on Detroit once the team finally got -- and stayed -- good after years of struggles.
That does not mean, however, that officials enjoyed dealing with him. That was especially true in the earlier phases of his career -- when, by the way, he was something of a selfish, one-dimensional player on losing teams before becoming a complete player as the Wings' blossomed into a contender. Even later in his career, Yzerman was a whiner where the officials were concerned.
My own problems with Yzerman started as a result of him treating my teammates like dirt. He was especially abusive to linesmen, and it made my protective instincts kick in and tell him off in no uncertain terms. The spark was lit after he belittled and verbally abused longtime linesman Mark Pare on an icing call in Detroit. It went way beyond simply yelling about a blown call, and I wasn't going to put up with it.
My next run-in with Yzerman came as a result of a disallowed goal in Minnesota. The dialogue won't be repeated on a family-friendly blog but suffice to say he wasn't a big fan of my style nor I of his. He made it personal and then escalated it when he elected to gripe to the media about me. Thereafter, we had a long-running feud.
To Yzerman, the on-ice officials in general and the linesmen in particular were peons who weren't in his realm and were lucky to share the same ice as him and his playing cohorts. Eric Lindros acted the same way. Wayne Gretzky, on the other hand, always treated the officials with respect and dignity. If Gretz disagreed with a call, he'd tell you why he thought you blew the call, but he confined it to that and he never tried to pit one official against another. Ditto Ray Bourque.
I've had battles with other players, but most of them were settled amicably over time. For instance, I had a falling out for several years with Craig MacTavish -- which was never played out in public -- but we buried the hatchet and came to get along well again.
In Yzerman's case, the mutual respect factor was never there in his dealings with officials; I was far from the only one who felt that way. Hey, I will always call 'em as I see 'em. Yzerman was a tremendously talented player and there's no taking away his key role in three Stanley Cups but he could be a real puke with the linesmen in particular. So that's why he made my list of the five biggest whiners I dealt with during my active reffing days.
Coming on Monday, I will blog about my take on the Olympic officiating assignments that the IIHF announced earlier this week. Have a good weekend, everyone... even you, Stevie Y!
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Recent Blogs by Paul Stewart
Careful With That Stick, Eugene
Hockey Barns and Broken Zambonis
Stick Slashes, Butterfingers and Gordie Tattoos
A Slap Shot Story: My Day as a Long Island Duck
Officiating Without Fear
Referees and Maitre D's
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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 only 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, while also maintaining 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. 
Blogger •Former NHL Referee • 
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