The Code by Something Bernstein
It's a book dedicated to the danger, the awesome, and the unwritten rules (or 'code') in fighting in hockey.
For those of you who don't know who Paul Stewart is -- everyone -- he was a badass player from the 70's turned referee. In 1973 he recorded 273 PIM in 46 Games. That's about 6 penalty minutes a game, or roughly one badass player on one team. He played for a bunch of teams including the Quebec Nordiques. He was always doing something controversial. He was being a badass as player or being a badass as a referee.
I even read somewhere in this book that as a referee he accidentally took a punch to the head while breaking up a fight. Well, you don't hit a referee. They usually crumple to the ice and everyone gets bent out of shape. Not Paul. He claims his 'instinct' kicked in he and he just started unloading on this player. He probably would have killed him if the linesmen hadn't pulled him off. So yea, imagine seeing an NHL player getting wrecked by Don Van Gayenhoven -- not gonna happen in this NHL.
Paul was pretty badass.
Then I read these little gem and couldn't find them anywhere online so I'm going to actually type them out. And they are sooo worth it.
Paul Stewart on 'Shit Talkers'
"Sometimes guys would just talk tough, and as an official, the best way to see what pussies like that were made of was to simply stand back and let them go. There is nothing worse than seeing a guy talk shit and not back it up. Paper tigers, they would run around like assholes, talking smack to other guys, thinking that they could just hide behind the officials. Well, I knew better, so when I saw guys doing that I told my linesmen to go stand out on the blue line and let that guy get his ass kicked to teach him a lesson. That was fun, it really was. The expression on their faces when we wouldn't step in was priceless."
~Paul handing down man lessons.
Paul Stewart on Lightweight 'Pussy Fighters'
"Another time two kids were shadow boxing in an AHL game and I was reffing, so I went over to them and said, 'If you two assholes don't stop wasting my time and start throwing some real punches, I am going to take my whistle off and kick the shit out of both of you."
~Paul doesn't like that weak sauce.
Paul Stewart on Revenge:
"Revenge in hockey can be a bitch. I still owe Bob Schmautz for trying to spear me in the eye in Colorado one night. I had hit him with a beautiful elbow right in the chest, which knocked the wind out of him. I could have taken his chin off, but I didn't. So he came back at me with his stick, and we got into a stick fight. It was ugly. I even went after him years later at a celebrity golf tournament up in Pawtucket with a putter one time.Milt Schmidt had to get between us that afternoon, and it was a good thing he was there or that could have gotten ugly too. I said, "You haven't got a stick now, how tough are you?!" He was a gutless puke. He had no code and no honor. Hey Schmautz--and you can put this in the book, too--anytime, anyplace. I'm ready for you."
~Paul still wants to drop them. 100 years later. What a man.
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