Vet officials hit ice for last regular season games

TORONTO – Four men in black, and white will officiate their final NHL regular-season games in April. Veteran referees Kerry Fraser and Dan Marouelli and linesmen Mark Paré and Lyle Seitz will retire from active duty after the conclusion of the 2009-10 season, the National Hockey League announced today.

"We thank Kerry, Dan, Mark and Lyle for their many years of professionalism and dedication," said Terry Gregson, NHL Senior Vice President and Director of Officiating. "We wish them all the best in their future endeavors and honor the contributions each made to our League".

Kerry Fraser, a native of Sarnia, Ontario, has officiated 1,901 games, the most by any referee in NHL history. He worked his first game nearly 30 years ago, a match-up between the Colorado Rockies and Minnesota North Stars on October 17, 1980. Fraser's long list of accomplishments includes refereeing 12 Stanley Cup Final series, two NHL All-Star Games (1990 Pittsburgh, 2000 Toronto), 2004 World Cup of Hockey, 1998 Winter Olympics Games in Nagano and NHL Premiere series in Europe. In 2009, Fraser was selected to the Ontario Minor Hockey Association All-Time Great Team. One of his most cherished memories is working with his son-in-law, former NHL referee Harry Dumas, in Dumas' first NHL game in December 2000. Fraser's final NHL regular-season game will be in Philadelphia on April 11, when the Flyers host the New York Rangers.

After 25 seasons and 1,621 games, Dan Marouelli will referee his final NHL regular-season game on April 10 in Montreal, when the Canadiens take on the Toronto Maple Leafs. Marouelli's first game took place during the 1984-85 season, when the Winnipeg Jets met the Detroit Red Wings on November 2, 1984. A native of Edmonton, Alberta, Marouelli officiated two NHL All-Star Games (1993 Montreal, 1990 Pittsburgh) and was part of four Stanley Cup Final series. He was selected to the 1996 World Cup officiating team and for the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Torino. Marouelli, who has worked 187 playoff games, worked the NHL's third-longest playoff game in 2000 when the Philadelphia Flyers defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins, 2-1, after more than 92 minutes of overtime was played. He is a member of the NHL Officials Association's Zebras Care charitable committee.

Linesman Mark Paré's 2,169-game journey began on October 11, 1979, in a game between the Washington Capitals and Buffalo Sabres. January 14, 2008, marked the day that the Windsor, Ontario, native entered an exclusive club by working the lines for the 2,000th time as the New York Rangers took on the Penguins in Pittsburgh. He is currently the leader in games among active NHL linesmen and ranks third all-time. Paré has 30 playoff games and two NHL All-Star Games (1992 Philadelphia, 2002 Los Angeles) on his resume, which also includes international pre-season duties in Austria (1997) and Helsinki and Stockholm (2003). Paré's final regular season NHL game will be on April 11, 2010, in Chicago when the Blackhawks host the Detroit Red Wings.

A native of Brooks, Alberta, linesman Lyle Seitz worked his first NHL game in Calgary when the Flames took on the Los Angeles Kings on October 7, 1992. A total of 735 games later, Seitz will officiate his final game on April 7, when the Phoenix Coyotes host the Nashville Predators at Jobing.com Arena. He was a member of the team that officiated the 2008 NHL All-Star Game in Atlanta. And, along with Fraser, Seitz was selected to work the 2010 Bridgestone NHL Winter Classic in Boston's Fenway Park, when the Bruins played the Philadelphia Flyers in the NHL's annual outdoor game. Seitz has participated in many charitable endeavors in NHL cities throughout his career with the NHLOA's Zebras Care.
 
The four men will be recognized by their colleagues at a special ceremony held during Officials Training Camp prior to the 2010-11 NHL season.