Paul Stewart at Nest for Falcons' Game on Friday

Published on March 10, 2005 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Springfield Falcons News Release


Springfield, Mass. – The Springfield Falcons, American Hockey League affiliate of the Tampa Bay Lightning, today announced that former National Hockey League referee and current Boston Bruins Foundation Director of Development Paul Stewart will participate in the Good Sports Equipment Drive at the Falcons' game at the Springfield Civic Center this Friday evening. Stewart will take part in a special pre-game presentation and will also be available to meet fans and sign autographs in the concourse during the contest. The Falcons will be taking on the Lowell Lock Monsters in a 7:35 p.m. game that evening.

Stewart spent 17 years as an NHL referee and became the first American-born official to referee 1,000 regular season games. He officiated his 1000th game on March 15, 2003 when the Bruins faced the Florida Panthers at the FleetCenter. He retired as a referee following the 2002-03 season.

The Dorchester native was diagnosed with stage-three colon cancer in February 1998 and underwent chemotherapy to become cancer free. As part of his comeback to the NHL, Stewart officiated four AHL games, the first of which was a 5-2 Falcons' win over the Fredericton Canadiens at the Springfield Civic Center on October 24, 1998. Stewart completed his return to the NHL the following month.

Stewart has served as a spokesperson for the National Colon Cancer Alliance and the NHL's Hockey Fights Cancer Campaign. He was named to his current position as Director of Development for the Boston Bruins Foundation in October 2003. The Bruins Foundation is a non-profit entity established to assist charitable organizations that demonstrate a strong commitment to enhancing the quality of life for children.

Prior to becoming a referee, Stewart enjoyed an eight-year professional hockey career as a player which included 60 games in the AHL and 21 games in the NHL.

Fans attending Friday's game can receive a free ticket to the Falcons' game on April 8th versus the Worcester IceCats by donating new or gently used sports equipment such as hockey skates and baseball gloves as part of the Good Sports Equipment Drive. All equipment collected will be used for teams and organizations in the Springfield community.

Good Sports is a non-profit organization whose mission is to increase urban youth participation in organized sports by making sports and fitness equipment accessible to young people throughout Massachusetts.

To purchase tickets to Friday's game, visit the Springfield Civic Center box office, call (413) 787-6600 or (800) 639-8602 to order by phone, or log onto www.falconsahl.com to order online.

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