My First Time Meeting 99
Paul Stewart appears courtesy of Officiating by StewartIn 1978 The Cincinnati Stingers of the WHA were scheduled to play their first preseason game against the Indianapolis Racers. Yet another, yawn, preseason game except for the fact that similar to people who remember where they were when Pearl Harbor was bombed, when President Kennedy was assassinated and when the planes hit the twin towers on 9/11, this game had a special moment that reverberated not only through Hockey but in my life as well.
Pat “Whitey” Stapleton, a former teammate, was both Coach and
General Manager of the Racers. That summer, Whitey had called me about
signing to play for him and the Racers. It seemed that Indy was about
to sign some new WHIZ KID who would turn there Hockey World and the
World Hockey Association into a huge success. There was a number of
signings of 18 year old players that summer in the WHA especially in
Birmingham by John Bassett, owner of the Bulls. Players like Rick
Vaive, Mike Gartner and Mark Messier certainly became household words
as their careers both in the WHA and the NHL blossomed. It was,
however, a skinny kid in Indy who eventually turned the entire world
into a Hockey watching, Hockey playing, Hockey excited tide that
continues to this today.
“Hey, Stew Cat, come on over here, I want you to meet someone”…that was Whitey talking as he brought me into the neutral area under the stands near the Zamboni.
“I want you to meet Wayne Gretzky, the guy that someday will be one of the best that ever played!”
“Hello MISTER Stewart”, said this young, skinny looking kid standing in front of me.
“Do me a favor, call me Stewy….I am told I might be calling you MISTER pretty soon….”
“Whitey tells me that tonight is your first game in the Pro’s…Good Luck with your career….but do me a favor…play the game and don’t be a stick man…I don’t like guys who use their sticks and then run and hide….Play clean and hard you won’t have any problems with me….”
Of course, you should know that I had averaged over 250 minutes in penalties in my first three years in the Pro’s. I was no stranger to fierce Hockey, fighting most of the tough guys, during those rambunctious years of the ’70’s.
In fact, when Whitey couldn’t sign me to play for The Racers, He inked former IHL tough guy Willie Trognitz to come over and mind the knitting. I had actually signed with Lou Nanne and the North Stars of the NHL but asked to be released from that contact after the Stars and The Cleveland Barons merged their teams. I didn’t want to go to training camp in Minnesota and fight my way through two teams for a job. So I opted for a return to Cincy and the WHA.
This Exhibition game was played in Dayton, Ohio, half way between the two cities. It was a pretty good crowd considering the size of the rink.
I hope those that attended the game made note of what they were witnessing. More likely, they didn’t even know what they saw.
In the game, Gretzky showed a little of what was to come. Mostly, he was new and young. I wondered aloud from the bench if he had a note from his parents to be out that late?
Certainly, the curiosity of the game from our bench was how he would handle the traffic and the hitting. We all watched closely and funny, I don’t recall anyone running him over or out the arena door. The only noteworthy hit of the night was when Willie Trognitz fell over Hugh Harris and injured Hughie’s knee. Hugh never played again. Hughie took his settlement money and bought a Pizza Parlor. Hughie and his wife “Big Sal” moved to Indianapolis where he lives to this day making pizza.
That was the first of many times that Wayne Gretzky and I would be on the ice together. Changes would come for both of us…different cities, different leagues, different roles on the ice…But like any vivid moment, who Wayne was and what he was about to become for all of us made that night in Dayton one for my memory book.
- Stewy
Paul Stewart
WHA / NHL PLAYER (RET)
NHL REFEREE (RET)
Paul Stewart appears courtesy of Officiating by Stewart
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