[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 1 (Thursday, January 3, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E3]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   IN RECOGNITION OF MR. PAUL STEWART

                                  _____
                                 

                        HON. WILLIAM R. KEATING

                            of massachusetts

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 3, 2019

  Mr. KEATING. Madam Speaker, I rise today in recognition of Paul 
Stewart as he is inducted by the USA Hockey Association into the USA 
Hockey Hall of Fame.
  Mr. Stewart was born and raised in Dorchester, Massachusetts, where 
he got his first pair of skates at age six, after borrowing his 
sister's figure skates too many times. He rose to playing in the 
National Hockey League for the Quebec Nordiques.
  Transitioning from a career playing in the NHL to paving the way for 
American referees, Mr. Stewart became the first American to both play 
and officiate in the National Hockey League. Following in the footsteps 
of his father and grandfather, he officiated his first game on March 
27, 1986 in his hometown rink, the Boston Garden.
  Players respected him, as he had a great respect for the players. He 
set an example for the future of NHL officiating and a new pathway for 
future referees. A testament to his strength and commitment came in the 
middle of his career, when he beat cancer and was back officiating 
within a year of his diagnosis. Outside of the regular season, Mr. 
Stewart officiated 49 Stanley Cup playoff games and two NHL All-Star 
games.
  In 2003, Mr. Stewart became the first American born referee to 
officiate 1,000 NHL regular-season games. He finished out officiating 
his 1,010th and final game right where it all started, at home in 
Boston surrounded by family and friends.
  After his trailblazing career on the ice, Mr. Stewart served as an 
ambassador for the NHL's Hockey Fights Cancer campaign. He also went on 
to be the director of the Bill Stewart Foundation, raising money for 
inner city youth sports, and the ECAC director of officiating, now 
working to break down barriers for women in the NHL. Following in the 
family profession, his two sons, McCauley and Maxwell, are both 
officiating hockey.
  Madam Speaker, I am proud to honor Mr. Paul Stewart for his 
trailblazing efforts that have changed the future of the sport, and who 
now joins his grandfather in the USA Hockey Hall of Fame. I ask that my 
colleagues join me in recognizing his hard work and dedication.

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