Paul Stewart

Paul Stewart is an American former professional hockey player and longtime NHL referee, inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 2018.

Born on March 21, 1953, Stewart played professionally in both the World Hockey Association and the National Hockey League, including time with the Cincinnati Stingers alongside Mark Messier. His final playing season came in 1979–80 with the Quebec Nordiques.

Following his playing career, Stewart transitioned to officiating and went on to referee 1,013 NHL regular-season games and 49 playoff games. His assignments included the 1987 and 1991 Canada Cups and two NHL All-Star Games. Known for never wearing a helmet on the ice, he wore uniform number 22 from 1994 until his retirement in 2003.

After leaving the NHL, Stewart became the Director of Officiating for both the men’s and women’s leagues in ECAC Hockey and later served as a judicial and discipline consultant for the Kontinental Hockey League.