On the ice, Stewart showed good judgment as a defenceman and rarely took 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. Regarded as a good skater, he was able to clear the puck out of his zone and rarely turned it over to the other team. Clare Martin said he was a "defensive defenceman" and that he "didn't carry the puck too much ... His job was defence and everybody in the league knew it."