Feature: Cancer Survivor Stewart an Inspiration

The following article on former NHL player and referee, and current ECAC Hockey Director of Officiating Paul Stewart appears on the NHL Web site. The complete article can be accessed via the NHL site by clicking here.

By Rocky Bonanno
NHL.com Staff Writer

Paul Stewart has spent nearly his whole life involved in the game of hockey and has accomplished a unique hat trick all his own - he was an NHL player, an NHL referee, and is now a cancer survivor.

Stewart was a colorful character during his playing and officiating days, enjoying every moment of his career. A native of Boston, he appeared in 21 games with the Quebec Nordiques in 1979-80, scoring two goals and racking up 74 penalty minutes as a right wing. After a few more seasons in the minors, he broke into officiating and made it back to the NHL as a full-time referee in 1987-88.

A decade later, Stewart faced the greatest battle of his life when he was diagnosed with colon cancer in February 1998, a battle he eventually won.

"Having grown up playing team sports, the loneliest place you can be is sitting on the bench when the doctor tells you you have cancer. It's a singularly lonely spot," Stewart said. "When the news of my cancer spread through the hockey community - from the commissioner to the ticket takers and ushers to the players - I found out that I wasn't alone at all. It gave me great strength to continue to fight every day. There were days when I was so tired and sick I couldn't get my head off the pillow. But then the phone rang, and friends were calling to check on me."

"When I got back on the ice, players like Jaromir Jagr, Mario Lemieux, Ray Bourque...Arturs Irbe tapped me on my pads and gave me a big hug at center ice, and I knew I was home again."

Stewart's emotional return to the ice came on Nov. 13, 1998, in New Jersey with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman in attendance.

Stewart later became the first American-born referee in NHL history to work 1,000 career games. His milestone contest came on March 15, 2003, at the FleetCenter in his hometown of Boston. He retired from NHL officiating after the 2002-03 season and now serves as the Men's League Supervisor of Officials for ECAC Hockey.

Since winning his battle with cancer, Stewart has donated much of his time to speaking to groups and charities involved with helping cancer victims and their families.

"I didn't set out to be an example to anyone, but it so happens that's my job. If I can get through it, you can," Stewart said. "What's important is that you gather strength from friends and family and that you don't surrender anything to this disease. It's like a thief that comes into your house at night to steal everything you have and what you are."

"As my good friend Jimmy Valvano said, ‘Never quit, never quit.'"

Stewart's inspirational message is just one of many found in the dedication to "Reflections on a Hockey Season - the 2007 NHL Year in Photographs." The NHL and the NHL Players' Association, together with Getty Images and Greystone Books, teamed to publish "Reflections," the first of an annual visual celebration. The book chronicles the highlights and candid, behind-the-scenes images from the 2006-07 NHL season. Dedications from Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Saku Koivu, and Phil Kessel are also included, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Hockey Fights Cancer. The book is now available on shop.nhl.com and in NHL Club stores. "Reflections" can also be found in retail stores beginning Oct. 22. Copies autographed by team captains will be auctioned on nhl.com in mid-October.

Stewart will be making an appearance at the grand opening of the NHL Powered By Reebok store in New York on Oct. 12 from 11 am to 2 pm.

Hockey Fights Cancer is a joint charitable initiative founded in December 1998 by the National Hockey League and NHL Players' Association and supported by NHL member clubs, NHL Alumni, the NHL Officials' Association, Professional Hockey Athletic Trainers and Equipment Managers, corporate marketing partners, broadcast partners and fans throughout North America. Hockey Fights Cancer is committed to raising money and awareness for hockey's most important fight. To date, more than $9 million has been raised to support cancer research.