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When my father wasn't teaching at Boston English High School, he was usually off somewhere officiating or coaching whether it was hockey, baseball or football. Most of the time, as he'd be getting his gear to put in the car, he'd ask me, "Ya wanna go?"

The answer was always yes. I loved going along with my dad.

Later, a variation of that very same question -- in a very different context -- became my ticket to playing in the World Hockey Association and later in the NHL. I always knew why I was employed by my teams, and it wasn't for the silky mitts that scored three WHA goals and a pair of goals in the NHL.

I always anticipated locking eyes with a rival on the other team and hearing the sneering challenge, "Ya wanna go?!".

Once again, the answer was always yes. I didn't "love" to fight, per se, but I was never afraid of it and I was good at it, off the ice as well as on the ice. I had more than my fair share of practice. I wasn't your typical Groton and University of Pennsylvania student-athlete. I may not have led my graduating class in GPA but I did graduate atop my class in fights, stitches, missing teeth -- and NHL games between playing and reffing.

In my first half season, playing for the Binghamton Broome Dusters in the old North American Hockey League, I appeared in 46 games. In that span, I collected 40+ fighting majors and 273 PIM. At my first NHL training camp, trying to earn a spot on the New York Rangers, I fought my roommate and subsequent longtime friend Nick Fotiu three different times (once in a hotel) just to see if I could beat him. I didn't but I did fight him to a draw after getting thrashed the first time. When I briefly played in the AHL for the Philadelphia Firebirds, I once fought five Maine Mariners at once and a not-so-pretty photo of me, bloodied with both eyes swelling shut, made it into Sports Illustrated. I'm not Bruce Lee or Superman, but I also earned more respect from my opponents that night than my weak-hearted teammates who were afraid of the tough guys on the Mariners.

In the minor leagues, I fought Steve Short (my first NHL exhibition game opponent) numerous times. He once knocked me down, so I fought him every time I saw him. Finally, he asked me what I had against him. The answer was "nothing", except that it bothered me that he kayoed me once.

Next time we played, I decked Steve.

Then he got up and said, "Feel better now? Can we just play hockey?"

It was a fair question. I did, and we did.

In my NHL debut, in my hometown Boston Garden, I had four fights: a pregame fight with Wayne Cashman and then in-game fights with the legendary Terry O'Reilly as well as Al Secord and Stan Jonathan. One time, many years later, I happened upon Terry at an autograph-signing event and jokingly went over and asked him to sign an autograph for me. He signed "To Paul, you started it.... Terry O'Reilly". In reality, I was just appreciative that he gave me a chance to prove myself. He didn't have to do that.

At any rate, when I was thinking about a title for my autobiography project, which is finally in the home stretch after struggling for years to figure out how to best organize it and what kind of book I wanted it to be -- which I hope will be more than just another jock bio and something more about life lessons learned and about involvement in sports for the love of the game, with all the rewards and heavy sacrifices therein -- I still kept coming back to "Ya Wanna Go?" because of its dual meaning in my life.

I'll have more info about the book in months to come, but today I am happy to announce the launch of my new website, YaWannaGo.com. While the site is partially intended to promote the upcoming book and as a means of contact for the speaking engagements that I do, HockeyBuzz will remain my blogging home for issues pertaining to officiating and my views on various hockey (and the occasional non-hockey) topics. Blogs will pick up again with much greater frequency as we get into the season.

I hope you'll continue to come along with me for the ride, both right here and HockeyBuzz and when the book comes out in 2019. So now it's my turn to ask you, "Ya wanna go?"

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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. Visit his official website at YaWannaGo.com.