T1B

Posted: **Sat Mar 18, 2006 12:45 am**

Canadian Press

3/17/2006 5:17:22 PM

TORONTO (CP) - The NHL officially has a new deal with its referees and linesman after the men in stripes voted 90 per cent in favour of ratifying the four-year extension Friday.

The league will likely officially announce it Monday but a source confirmed the new labour contract had been ratified.

The deal was first agreed to in late December but needed to be passed by both sides. The NHL's board of governors unanimously voted in favour of it on Feb. 28.

The most intriguing new item in the deal calls for mandatory helmets for all on-ice officials and mandatory visors for all incoming refs and linesman, a source told The Canadian Press. That means veteran ref Kerry Fraser will need to don a helmet next season.

The Hockey News reported on its website Friday that the new deal will pay first-year refs $130,000 US with a maximum of $290,000 for veterans. First-year linesmen will be paid $85,000, with the most experienced earning up to $190,000.

Posted: **Sat Mar 18, 2006 1:58 am**

Looks like Kerry will save beaucoup $$$ on his hair styling costs. Dude's hair doesn't fucking move when he's on the ice. Happy St. Patty's Day. Hiccuyp/.

Posted: **Sat Mar 18, 2006 12:26 pm**

It'll look weird seeing Fraser wearing a helmet. Couldn't he just put on another can of hairspray to make that hair into pseudo-helmet?

Posted: **Sat Mar 18, 2006 1:32 pm**

Hopefully, Fraser wearing an helmet will prevent that idiot's brain to freeze and we won't witness stupid calls anymore, especially during the playoffs.

Signed:
Quebec Nordiques
Toronto Maple Leafs
Montreal Canadiens
Calgary Flames

The Oilers or the Canucks are next to get screwed

Posted: **Sat Mar 18, 2006 4:15 pm**

The new rules will bring about a new phenomenon in hairstyles,
the "Helmet-Mullet Head".

T1B

Last season of the helmetless ref

Last season of the helmetless ref