Over the course of any hockey season, tension is inevitable. Sometimes, those tensions are between teammates. I saw it as a player and I saw it as an official. In order to be a good official, apart from all the physical skills and hockey sense factors that I frequently discuss in my blogs, one needs a burning passion for the game and strong self-confidence.
In my blog congratulating my longtime officiating teammate Kevin Collins for his induction into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, I relayed a story about a
time we clashed over a call Kevin made in the faceoff circle to dump someone from the draw.
Recently, I saw Kevin. He had read the blog. All these years later, we found ourselves debating the same call all over again, albeit much more calmly and rationally. At the time, we considered every other alternative in our Irish attitudes. After blowing off steam, showering and having a beer we agreed to disagree.
At the time, I had thought Kevin tossed the center from the draw draw to encroachment into the circle by a teammate (which would have been the wrong call). That was why I insisted the call be reversed.
Kevin explained to me that he didn't kick the center out of the draw due to a teammate's encroachment. He did it because the center was cheating on the draw, which he spotted but I had not. That was why he was so incensed at me for arguing with him. He changed the call to get on with the game, but he actually made the correct call in the first place.
This is something that is not unusual in the heat of battle. One official sees one thing and forms an opinion based on that information. A teammate sees something else and makes a call. Each is convinced the other was mistaken, and debates it without even realizing it's an apples-to-oranges argument.
Kevin made the correct call. I wasn't right. However, based off what I had assumed was the basis of the call, I also wasn't wrong. In hockey officiating, there's only black and white (just like the stripes on our sweaters). There's no gray. Ah, but in the realm of human perception and interaction, there are many shades of gray even when our eye initially sees it as such and triggers strong emotions.
When you get two people such as Kevin and myself who are almost too alike in some ways and strong in defending our beliefs, sometimes there will be strong disagreement. It's all part of hockey, and all part of why I have so much respect for Kevin even when we've disagreed. Fifteen years later after the night in question, we are still brothers.
The other night, we talked it out. I apologized for not considering his viewpoint. We had another beer.
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Follow Paul on Twitter: @paulstewart22
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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. After his retirement, he began a long career as a collegiate hockey officiating director, officiating trainer and supervisor, and an officiating and supplemental discipline consultant to the KHL. 
Blogger •Former NHL Referee • 
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