MU8KEGON TWP. - Reeths-Puffer hockey standout Connor Stawski had to delay the start of his senior season due to a referee’s call.
He was playing in last year’s regional tournament opener against Traverse City West and used his big 6-foot-5, 208-pound frame to lay a hit on an opponent.
The refs decided the hit was too rough and he was thrown out of the contest and suspended for the first two games of the 2023-24 season.
Stawski said it was very difficult to watch as his teammates kicked off the new season without him, particularly since he didn’t believe the punishment fit the crime.
“I got him pretty good and they threw me out,” Stawski said. “It really ate at me. I showed the video to a lot of other refs, and they said, if anything, it should have been a one-game suspension.”
R-P's Connor Stawski
After doing his best to remain patient during his suspension, Stawski has returned to his role as a force on both ends of the ice for the Rockets.
He’s an offensive type of defenseman who can score with his hard shot from the blue line, and also sets up a lot of plays that result in goals.
He has totaled two goals and nine assists with an impressive plus-6 rating in 10 games, and the Rockets have been scoring and winning more often.
“He creates a lot of offense on the defensive side of the puck," said Reeths-Puffer head coach Dustin Langlois. "He finds lanes and gets pucks through to people. He’s definitely a quarterback out there. He’s patient with the puck and never rushes. He makes the other team make a move, then he acts on it.
“He just generates so much offense. Without him, we were basically trying to prevent goals rather than trying to score goals.”
Stawski said he enjoys his offensive role but doesn’t care if he scores or sets up a goal – he just wants the puck to go in the net.
“When the shot is there I try to take it,” he said. “I have a pretty good slap shot. But when someone is open I do my best to get them the puck first. I don’t care who gets it, as long as we get the job done.”
Stawski is also the team’s anchor when it comes to stopping the opposing attack. He may create a lot of offense, but never forgets that his first obligation is to be a great defender.
“When you are 6-foot-5, with a wingspan that covers half the ice, it’s hard for anyone to get around him,” Langlois said. “And he’s not slow by any means. He can get back on defense and hold his own.”
With his size, impressive skill set and leadership abilities as a team captain, Stawski might seem like an ideal candidate for college hockey, and some teams have expressed interest.
But Stawski has no intention of playing any sort of serious hockey beyond this season.
Instead he wants to continue to pursue his budding career as – wait for it – a hockey referee.
Yes, the guy who felt a bit cheated out of the first few games of his senior season wants to keep advancing in the ranks of the officials who make the penalty calls.
He’s been working youth league games for several years and wants to move up and officiate at higher levels, including high school hockey, next season.
“I want to see how far I can get in reffing,” Stawski said. “I think it’s fun. It’s a big adrenaline rush some games, and I like that. It’s a completely different part of hockey, just the things that you watch for.
“If a kid takes a penalty, I do my best to explain to him what he did wrong. With parents, I don’t really care what they say. With coaches, I will explain first, then give them a bench minor, and throw them out if I have to. I have come close to doing that.”
Ironically, the Rockets’ play has led to a lot of negative ref calls this season. The team was getting whistled for a lot of penalties in the early part of the campaign, then cleaned up the problem and won four of its last five games in December.
But the penalty problem returned last week in a disappointing 6-3 loss to archrival Mona Shores. As a developing referee, Stawski offers some insight into what his talented team should do to alleviate the problem.
“We need to keep our hands down when we hit (opponents), and don’t retaliate,” said Stawski, who has not been drawing many penalties himself. “We can’t let anger get a hold of us.
“It just comes down to those dumb penalties we take.”
Stawski said the loss to Mona Shores was “very tough,” particularly since the Rockets have not beaten the Sailors during his high school career. But he also thinks the painful defeat might motivate his talented team.
Reeths-Puffer, 6-6 on the season, will return to action on Wednesday night against Kenowa Hills at Muskegon’s Mercy Health Arena.
“There may be a bright side to it,” he said. “Hopefully we will wake up and play really good for the next couple of games.”
