Jack Stewart (ice Hockey) - Playing Style

Playing Style

"I bodychecked some fellow one night and when he woke up the next day in the hospital he asked who'd hit him with a blackjack."

During his career, Stewart was regarded as one of the hardest bodycheckers in the National Hockey League. He was also carried the heaviest stick in the league, explaining that "I don't use it for scoring. I use it for breaking arms". Stewart was known for his large grin when hitting opponents; teammate Ted Lindsay noted "when he had that smile, it was time for the opposition to look out". He led the league with 73 penalty minutes in 1945–46, and in the late 1940s, his rivalry with Milt Schmidt of the Boston Bruins was so intense that their physical interactions occasionally overshadowed the games themselves.

Stewart hated his nickname of "Black Jack", believing it implied he was a dirty player. Hockey Hall of Fame defenceman King Clancy agreed he was not a dirty, but stated he was the "roughest son of a gun you'd ever want to meet." His style of play resulted in numerous injuries; Stewart had dozens of scars and required over 200 stitches to close various cuts during his career. One year saw him play the entire season with a broken hand.

Stewart showed good judgment as a defenceman, rarely taking himself out of position to throw a hit. His coach in Detroit, Jack Adams, called Stewart "one of the best blueliners in the game", and claimed he was the best defenceman in Red Wings history. He was regarded as a good skater, able to clear the puck out of his zone and who rarely turned it over to the other team.

Stewart was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1964, and is an honoured member of the Manitoba Hockey and Sports Halls of Fame. He was named to the Manitoba Hockey Hall of Fame's First All-Century Team in 2000.