Follow Paul on Twitter: @paulstewart22

Thanksgiving in the U.S. has always been one of my favorite days of the year. In 1958, I took my first strides on the ice at the Boston Arena, wearing my sister Pat's (too big for my feet) white figure skates with toe picks. On Thanksgiving 1979, I made my NHL playing debut at the Boston Garden as a proud member of the Quebec Nordiques.

This year's Thanksgiving will be a busy one, too, and I can't wait for it. It's great to be home. Last year, while still working for the KHL, I celebrated Thanksgiving by eating a turkey leg at a mall food court in Bratislava, Slovakia.

Today, I am prepping today for the feast. Tomorrow, I am doing the cooking in the AM watching the parade and then watching one of my all-time favorite movies, Miracle on 34th Street. Yeah, refs are real people with real families, too.

After that, it will be time to put up our Christmas lights and the candles in the windows. Soon the rink will be up in the back yard and it once again will be the damn finest and best maintained backyard rink in New England (if I dare say so myself).

Every year on Thanksgiving, I can't help but count my blessings and the people to whom I am grateful. I think about my dad and grandfather, wishing they were here. I think about the late John McCauley and Frank Udvari and my old buddy Romeo LeBlanc. I think about men like John Ashley, Scotty Morrison, Jacques Demers, Frank "Junie" O'Brien and Fred Shero. I think about old friends and teammates from my playing and officiating days. I think about dear non-hockey friends, both living and deceased.

Happy Thanksgiving to one and all!


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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.

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.