Being a former NHL referee, Paul Stewart likes to joke that he can’t pass through an airport metal detector because of all the knives he has in his back from his officiating days.
Truth be told, Stewart was one of the most respected referees during his career, and that respect culminated this week in the announcement that Stewart would be part of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame’s Class of 2018. The Boston native joins Gordon “Red” Berenson, Natalie Darwitz, Leland “Hago” Harrington and David Poile as this year’s inductees, all of whom will be officially welcomed into the Hall in a ceremony in Nashville, TN on Dec. 12.
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“It’s the one bit of news that has rendered me speechless,” Stewart said. “The two words that don’t often describe me in a sentence – humbled and speechless.”
Stewart, 65, made history as the first American to officiate more than 1,000 NHL regular-season games, working until his retirement from the NHL referee ranks in 2003. He’s also the first American to both play and later ref in the NHL.
“I’m full of emotion because of all of the people who have helped me along the way,” he said. “There were many times, many days when I needed help.”
Stewart clearly remembers the day he was diagnosed with colon cancer in 1998 and thought everything was “going to be snatched away.” So he bought a plot next to his grandfather’s grave. His grandfather, Bill Stewart, was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 1982 as a former Stanley Cup-winning coach for the Chicago Blackhawks and coach for the U.S. National Team.
“I can say with great joy that I’m much happier sharing the real estate at the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame versus the plot out at St. Joseph’s cemetery,” Paul Stewart joked.
Stewart has always been a person who wears his heart on his sleeve, and his appreciation at this honor shines through.
“This is the culmination, the realization of a dream to be in hockey,” he said. “If part of the responsibility of being in the game is to pass the torch, and make sure we nurture and care for the game then I’ve done my job.”
Stewart is currently the director of officiating for the Eastern College Athletic Conference.
The Bruins this week announced their roster for the annual Prospects Challenge, scheduled for Sept. 7-10 at HarborCenter in Buffalo. Along with the Buffalo Sabres, Pittsburgh Penguins and New Jersey Devils, the Bruins prospects will play three games.
The Bruins will boast an impressive roster again this season, headlined by several players who have already contributed at the NHL level.
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Forwards: Anders Bjork, Ryan Donato, Ryan Fitzgerald, Carson Focht, Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson, Trent Frederic, Cameron Hughes, Joona Koppanen, Karson Kuhlman, Jakub Lauko, John Ludvig, Cedric Pare, Zach Senyshyn, Oskar Steen and Jack Studnicka.
Defense: Axel Andersson, Justin Bergeron, Daniel Bukac, Connor Clifton, Olivier Galipeau, Emil Johansson, Jeremy Lauzon, Wiley Sherman, Urho Vaakanainen and Jakub Zboril.
Goalies: Kyle Keyser, Daniel Vladar and Dawson Weatherill.
Mount St. Charles Academy, in Woonsocket, R.I., wants to become a hockey destination once again. This week, the once-iconic program – winners of 26 consecutive state championships from 1978 to 2003 – took a step in the right direction by announcing major changes to its coaching staff.
Matt Plante, Devin Rask and Scott Gainey will begin reshaping Mount’s hockey program this fall after spending the last seven years at South Kent School Selects Academy in Connecticut. Plante and Rask have been named co-directors of hockey operations and will start Aug. 15. All three will serve as coaches, beginning in the fall of 2019.
Legendary coach and U.S. Hockey Hall of Famer Bill Belisle — who began coaching at Mount St. Charles in 1975 — will remain with the program as coach emeritus. His son Dave Belisle, who coaches alongside his father, will also stay with the program in a role to be determined.
Under the new program, the Mounties will have U18, U16 and U15 teams that will play an independent schedule, including tournaments. The school would also like to keep a team in the Rhode Island Interscholastic League.
The idea of a one-stop shopping for school and hockey could be enticing for families.
“With Matt, Devin and Scott, we’ll be competing for national titles,” said Mount St. Charles president Alan Tenreiro. “They have proven records of creating winning programs. Most impressively, they want to build a program of integrity that shares Mount’s commitment to the formation of well-rounded students focused on community, academic excellence, service and building strong moral character.”
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Brian Boucher, a Mount alum, former NHL goalie and current analyst for NBC and the NHL Network, is the strategic advisor to hockey operations for the Mounties. He said that this change has the potential to bring the program back to its former glory.
“This is a bold move by Mount St. Charles, and school president Alan Tenreiro, to make Mount St. Charles significant once again in developing hockey players,” Boucher said. “In the past, we’ve had a proud tradition at Mount and it’s kind of dwindled over the last 10, 15, 20 years, but with a hiring like this, this really puts Mount heading in the right direction. For alumni, and kids that are coming up as youth hockey players, this is going to be an exciting opportunity for a lot of families and kids.”
A group of local NHLers will be in attendance on Tuesday for the Summer Happy Hour at Coppersmith restaurant in South Boston to benefit the Corey C. Griffin Foundation. The host committee consists of Brian Boyle, Paul Carey, Charlie Coyle, Ryan Donato, Mark Fayne, Brian Gibbons, Steve Greeley, Noah Hanifin, Jimmy Hayes, Kevin Hayes, Cory Schneider, Keith Yandle, Miles Wood, Chris Wagner and Jimmy Vesey.
Griffin died in a diving accident on Nantucket in August 2014. He was 27. A native of Hingham, Mass., Griffin played hockey at Babson College and was also the co-founder of the ALS “Ice Bucket Challenge;” his work helped the fundraising efforts go viral.
“Great family, great kid,” said Greeley, who is the assistant general manager of the Buffalo Sabres. “Of the 20 guys, 18 know him personally and a couple of others are jumping on because they know what the Corey Griffin Foundation is all about and what’s it’s doing. Any time you can get at least 20 NHL guys in the same spot on a summer night you know it’s for a good reason.”
Tickets to the event are $20 and can be purchased at ccghappyhour.com.
Top Photo of Paul Stewart during his 1,000th NHL game by Elsa/Getty Images/NHLI