Wanna blog? Start your own hockey blog with My HockeyBuzz. Register for free today!
 

New Year's Eve Stew

December 31, 2018, 5:35 AM ET [1 Comments]
Paul Stewart
Blogger •Former NHL Referee • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Follow Paul on Twitter: @paulstewart22

Best wishes for a safe, happy and healthy 2019 for all of my readers. The last couple months have been an exciting and hectic time for me -- a busy man is a happy man, my mother used to say, so get busy -- and I'm looking forward to staying busy in the New Year. Hockeywise, the Winter Classic and World Junior Championship medal round are upon us as we start 2019 and then, before we know it, it will be time for the NCAA conference tourneys, the Frozen Four, the NHL's Stanley Cup Playoffs and IIHF World Championships.

As 2018 draws to a close, here are some of my thoughts on recent goings-on in the hockey world as well as my own life: I call it my New Year's Eve Stew. Let's dig in:

1) Friction is a part of hockey, but there are limits. That includes the relationship between officials and players. In the days leading up to the NHL's recent holiday break, there was an incident in Philadelphia in which Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov deliberately shoved linesman Ryan Daisy aside as Daisy was escorting him to the penalty box on a minor penalty. Provorov was apparently frustrated by a penalty called on him by the referee behind the net, and took the frustration out on the linesman.

The shove was not a violent one, nor was Daisy injured. It doesn't matter. It's still physical abuse of an official, specifically falling under Rule 40.3, and carries an automatic 10-game suspension as a result: "Any player who deliberately applies physical force to an official in any manner... without intent to injure, shall be automatically suspended for not less than ten (10) games".

Physical abuse of an official that was either delivered with deliberate intent to injure or could reasonably be assumed to risk inflicting injury, carries an automatic 20-game banishment, pending potential adjustment by the NHL Commissioner (or appeal to an independent arbitrator, as we've seen in the recent past). I've spoken my piece about the Dennis Wideman incident with now-former linesman Dennis Wideman and will always maintain that arbitrator James Oldham's decision to reduce the suspension to 10 games and order the refunding of nine games of forfeited salary was an absolute miscarriage of justice, especially in light of the fact that Henderson was never able to work again.

The 10-game category of suspension was intended as a deterrent for players to do what Provorov did, not something such as the Wideman incident. Additionally, for those of you out there who are wondering why on-ice officials have the power to implement an automatic suspension (which then triggers a mandatory written report to the Commissioner and a review by the Commissioner's office -- this type of incident is NOT subject to Department of Player Safety review), the NHL Rule Book is a history book of sorts. The history of the rule stems back to the Tom Lysiak incident in 1983.

Now, in the particular case of Provorov-Daisy, the abuse-of-official penalty was not invoked. Daisy talked it over with the refs and they decided on the spot to instead cut Provorov a break and issue only a 10-minute misconduct on top of the initial minor; the punishment in this case being that Philadelphia lost the services of its top minutes-eating defenseman for 12 minutes in a close game, including the initial shorthanded situation. After that, it was over and done, and he could finish the game with no further repercussions.

I was fine with that decision. The purpose here was not to be as punitive as the letter of the law allows but, rather, to deem what was appropriate as a corrective action and future deterrent. If I were the referee and Ryan felt satisfied that a 10-minute misconduct was sufficient, I'd have gone along with it. Likewise, in a league disciplinary role, I'd have been OK with how it was handled on the ice.

Ryan is a good guy, and a good official whom I know personally. He has skated in my offseason "Breakfast Club" (my 5 a.m. skating group) and I have followed his development over the years as an official. It did not surprise me that he was measured rather than vengeful. As officials, we strive to be judicious and really do not want to remove players from games unless the level of misconduct crosses the threshold. Provorov was right on that borderline but since the actual physical contact was limited to pushing Daisy's arm aside and skating off the penalty box on his own, the choice made was to be lenient in the punishment.

Provorov subsequently apologized twice to Daisy: briefly the same night it happened and then more personally by telephone the next day. It was water under the bridge. However, as officials and human beings, we should forgive but we should not forget. The onus is on Provorov from now on to show that he's actually learned his lesson, knows he was cut a break, and never repeats that behavior in the future.

2) As I said when I was selected for the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, the word "speechless" is one that rarely has applied to me in my life. For all the words I've spoken and written about the honor, I lack the ability to fully convey how much the honor itself and the outreach of so many dear friends, colleagues and the public truly meant to me.

This past week, I rendered speechless again. Bill Keating, a member of the United States House of Representative from my native Massachusetts, formally recognized me for my career and USHHOF induction during a session of Congress, and the article of national recognition was entered into the official Congressional record from the proceedings of the second session of 115th U.S. Congress. That was unexpected, and humbling. All I can say is that I am humbled, and thank you.



3) I have been writing far too many memorial blogs of late in mourning of the recent losses of people who have meant a lot to me both personally and professionally: Mick McGeough, Dave Newell and, now, Bob Crocker.

Coach Crocker knew my father, Bill Stewart Sr., and he knew me from the time I was a kid. He was the one who recruited me to the University of Pennsylvania to play hockey (I had initially planned to attend Boston College or, alternatively, to join the military when I graduated Groton). I later had some hockey-related differences with Coach Crocker, as I barely played during my junior season and didn't play at all my senior year before turning pro. If anything, though, that only pushed to work harder to carve out a niche for myself as a player. I knew I'd never be the next Jean Beliveau, so I focused on using my toughness and physical strength as my stock in trade.

I was hurt and upset that Coach Crocker judged that I was no longer a fit any longer in his plans for the team as our roster mix changed my third year. Over the years, I came to understand his point of view as a coach a little more as I gained experience and perspective, although I will never agree that he made the right decision. But I never agreed, either, with how sparingly Jacques Demers played me in the WHA with Cincinnati and the NHL with Quebec yet Jacques was very good to me in other ways and I would not have a WHA or NHL playing career without him. On a personal level, Jacques treated me with great kindness and, professionally, I learned a lot and greatly enjoyed by time in Cincinnati and Quebec.

Same thing with Coach Crocker. On a personal level, I am eternally grateful to him.

First of all, I would not have attended and graduated an Ivy League university if he had not brought me to Penn. Secondly, while a student athlete at Penn, I learned a whole lot about myself as a hockey player and what it would take for me to pursue my dream of playing professionally. It was also Coach Crocker who gifted me workout equipment (specifically, a punching bag) after my college graduation that I used throughout offseasons as I got ready for training camp. I kept in touch with him and valued his advice.

Last but not least, I greatly respect Bob Crocker for his role in growing our sport, not just within New England but nationally. He won the Lester Patrick Award in 2015 for his service to Hockey in United States because he was someone who was a very important figure in spanning the bridge between the years where there were few Americans (even some of our Penn teams heavily recruited from Canada) in the game to the current era. Not only did the numbers and percentages of American players at the pro level explode to levels that were seemingly unfathomable in the pre-Miracle on Ice and national growth eras, but so did the volume of American kids who have gone the collegiate hockey route and then made to the pros.

A Boston native himself, Bob Crocker attended and played hockey at Boston University. For many years thereafter, he was a recruiter and junior varsity hockey coach before going to the Unversity of Pennsylvania in 1972 for the opportunity to be the head coach. After Penn disbanded the hockey program, Coach Crocker's career took him to the NHL.

From 1980 to 1992, he served as an assistant general manager for the Hartford Whalers. He then went to work for the New York Rangers as a scout from 1992 to 2005 and then served in a scouting capacity for the LA Kings. In total, he earned three Stanley Cup rings for being on the scouting staffs of teams that went all the way, and also had a hand in identifying AHL talent for a Calder Cup champion Hartford Wolf Pack team. In total, his career in hockey spanned the mid-1950s to the mid-2010s. That kind of longevity says it all. His legacy in our sport is indelible.

As a human being, Bob Crocker was first rate. My own late father considered him a friend, so my admiration for him is steeped in decades of interactions. Coach Crocker is survived by his wife Anna, daughter Patricia and son Stephen.

Bob Crocker lived to be 90 years old; a rich, full life. That does not make his passing any easier on all of us who knew, respected and cared for him. My life is but one of the thousands whom he positively affected in some way, shape or form. All I can say, yet again, is thank you for all I was taught. I try to pay it forward in providing opportunity, guidance and leadership to the best of my ability.

4) Speaking of human abilities, I dislike the cliche about athletes, entertainers or anyone else "giving 110%." It is an illogical phrase and, frankly, can be disingenuous. Regardless of what endeavor someone pursues, there is only one hundred percent to give.

We all have the capacity to unlock a higher level of potential than we once realized was possible within us. That is accomplished through passionate commitment, work ethic, persistence, a willingness to sacrifice, an ability to learn and apply those lessons; in other words, it is done through giving 100 percent, even when no one else is watching. Give your best, realize that mistakes will happen and then go all out to assess and correct those mistakes. This is the path to turning so-called over-achievement into lasting achievement.

I am leery of anyone who says he or she (or a team) "needs to give 110 percent." What it really means is that they are either underselling their maximum abilities or they are simply posturing. A good boss sets ambitious and demanding but fair expectations. Pushing staff to give 100 percent -- and to reach higher levels by doing so -- is good coaching and management. Demanding more than 100 percent is dehumanizing, unrealistic and ultimately, self-defeating because it only sets people up to fail.

I had great mentors who taught me this particular lesson through their wisdom and their own deeds: my grandfather and father, John McCauley, Frank Udvari, John Ashley, Dave Newell and others. It is a life lesson as well as a sporting lesson.

5) Current NHL referee Wes McCauley recently worked his 1,000th NHL game. John would be proud, and no doubt was present in spirit when Wes reached that achievement -- with many excellent years of work still ahead of him. John would specifically be proud because Wes is his own man -- a different personality and very different on-ice style from his dad's -- yet gives his 100 percent and reached the top of his profession on his own merits and not because of his family name.

6) New Year's Eve is a time for folks to have some (responsible) fun. Whenever this day arises, I can't help but chuckle thinking about some of the New Year's Eves of my on-ice officiating and playing careers. One of the most memorable was New Year's Eve 1987 in Vancouver, BC.

On that night, I reffed a Canucks game against the Winnipeg Jets. I was in great spirits all day. Vancouver is a tremendous city and I had a date with a beautiful blonde planned for after the game. My tux was ready to go, and I couldn't wait to ring in the New Year in grand style.

The game was a physical one with several fights, but nothing out of the ordinary. That is until after I escorted the Jets' Steve Rooney, a friend and fellow Bostonian, to the penalty box.

I made the mistake of turning my back on the Dorchester boy (we're all a bunch of miscreants). Suddenly, I turn around and there's Rooney, back out on the ice, rolling around in a tussle.

My first thought: "Uh, oh. This one is going to be lots of fun to explain to my bosses."

Rather then spending my New Year's Eve out on the town wining and dining a beautiful woman, I spent it back at the hotel filing an incident report with the NHL. My "date" was linesman Randy Mitton. We were eager to get the tedious process done as soon as possible.

As an official, one is accountable for anything unusual that happens during the game. Filing incident reports is part of the turf but not one of the more enjoyable tasks that arise. To paraphrase Yogi Berra, the hockey game ain't over til the refs finish the paperwork.

So long as I live, I will never forget my phone conversation with NHL officiating director John McCauley a few hours after the Rooney incident.

"So you are telling me that Rooney just fell out of the penalty box?" McCauley asked, incredulously.

"That's right," I said. "Strange, huh?"

After a long pause, John said, "You know, they just don't make those damn doors the way they used to. Happy new year, Paul."

As a ref, I couldn't hate the players for trying. I understood their reasons but I needed to keep in mind that it was my job to keep it fair and to keep it safe. When a player might go really, really overboard, with a stick swing or something equally stupid, I had to draw the line. I had to get firm and hang tough. I'd call a penalty in a game and then a day later, sit across from Marty McSorley, Dave Brown, Stephane Richer or some other guy who wandered too far and got a match penalty (which necessitated a report to the league).

Facing a suspension and listening to my unemotional and factual report, inevitably the heat would rise in the hearing room. More than once, I got challenged to "step outside." With a laugh and without blinking, I would say that stepping outside wouldn't bother me but that would only add to the other guy's problems and his misery.

Inevitably, Brian O'Neil would get things calm and my final and personal response after my report would be when the player would say to me, "Jeez Stewy, you used to play tough. You should know why I hit him."

I would always respond with this, "I don't mind that you hit him, but next time, leave the stick out of it. I never used a stick, just my fists."

Believe me, these reports and hearings were things I'd gladly have lived without -- especially on New Year's Eve!

7) A huge thank you to all who have ordered "Ya Wanna Go?" and/or "A Magical Christmas for Paul Stewart". The response has exceeded my expectations -- to the point that we actually had more orders come in than initial inventory ordered from our printer for the official website YaWannaGo.com as well as brisk sales through Amazon and other outlets.

Thank you as well to everyone who came out to my Q&A session and book signing at the Legacy Club of Boston. I got great feedback on the event. I am still in the process of working out the logistics of U.S./Canada book signing events and speaking engagement requests in 2019 within my other responsibilities.

Once again, happy New Year to all and a a final heartfelt thank you to all who made 2018 such an unforgettable year in my life.

*********

A Class of 2018 inductee to the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, 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 Paul's official website, YaWannaGo.com
.
Join the Discussion: » 1 Comments » Post New Comment
More from Paul Stewart
» The Stew: Kevin Pollack, We Nearly Missed, Thank You Fans
» Officiating: Reasonable Doubt vs Miscarriages of Justice
» My Advice to Matt Rempe
» Greig, Rielly and "The Code"
» Chirping Zebras Podcast