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Wild's Chris Stewart Relishes Leading As A Role Player

ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) -- There are always role players that step up when a team experiences the success the Wild has over the past six weeks.

Enter Chris Stewart, a veteran forward who they re-acquired in the offseason. As WCCO's Mike Max reports, he's a leader. And some of that stems from the make-up of his family.

Chris Stewart is a leader who has added a bonus this season: Scoring goals.

"He's got seven right now and I mean for the amount of time sometimes that he plays that's a tremendous asset to have somebody that can put those kind of numbers in," Wild coach Bruce Boudreau said.

Everybody is a product, to an extent, of how they grew up. It's no different for Chris Stewart, who grew up with siblings to be sure, and he thought he needed to take a leadership role.

Stewart's nature stems from being the oldest of a big family, where he was the only boy.

"That's just kind of a strong personality trait for me. I grew up with five younger sisters so I've kind of always been the go-to guy in the household," Stewart said. "I try to bring that energy every day."

Make no mistake, he is a leader in this NHL family. Because people follow.

"He's a leader and he our, I wouldn't say our voice in the room, but he definitely a very positive influence on the bench and in the room," Boudreau said.

That's the deal with this league. Find a role, do it well and for Stewart, do it with action. In no small part because he is not small, approaching 240 pounds, and willing to work.

"You can talk the talk but you've got to walk the walk too," Steward said. "You've got to show and prove, and that's something I've stood behind my whole career."

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