| Kerry Fraser | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 30, 1952 Sarnia, Ontario |
| Nationality | Canada |
| Occupation | NHL official (1973 - 2010) |
| Children | Ryan Fraser, Marcy Dumas |
Kerry Fraser (born May 30, 1952, in Sarnia, Ontario) is a hockey analyst and former senior referee in the National Hockey League, having joined the National Hockey League Officials Association on September 1, 1973, and officiating his first game in the 1980–81 season.[1] Fraser's father, Hilton "Hilt" Fraser, had him skating at 15 months old,[2] chasing pucks at 11, and refereeing by age 15.[3] At just 5 feet 7 inches (1.70 m) tall, Fraser says that his height contributed to his longevity in the league by forcing him to "develop techniques to ... avoid being hit"[4]
He has called over 1,900 regular season games and over 260 Stanley Cup playoff games since joining the league in 1980.[1] Fraser also officiated the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan, which was the first Olympic tournament to feature NHL participation.
He was also one of the last three NHL officials covered by the grandfather clause that allowed him to go without a helmet, thus allowing his signature bouffant hairstyle. However, with the ratification of the new NHL Officials Association collective bargaining agreement on March 21, 2006, all officials, including Fraser, were required to wear a helmet.[5]
Fraser missed the beginning of the 2006–07 season while recovering from an incident in September 2006. He was helping his daughter move and was carrying a television down the steps when he lost his footing; his big toe was shattered.[6] Before returning to referee NHL games, Fraser officiated some AHL games alongside his son, Ryan Fraser.[7] In November 2006, TSN's James Duthie, along with Kerry Fraser, created a short mock interview/documentary claiming that Fraser missed the start of the season because he was afraid that wearing a helmet would mess up his hair.[8] Fraser's first game back with the NHL was Tampa Bay Lightning at Boston Bruins on November 30, 2006.
Fraser retired from officiating after the NHL 2009–10 season working his last game on April 11, 2010 in Philadelphia as the Philadelphia Flyers hosted the New York Rangers at the Wachovia Center, which is the closest NHL arena to his residence in New Jersey. Also during the season he worked a number of important games as the league's most senior referee including the Winter Classic.[9]
Fraser was voted the "most consistent" referee in a December 2005 poll[10] of NHL players by The Hockey News.[11]
In 2009, Fraser was named to the Ontario Minor Hockey Association's All-Time team as a referee. A banner was raised at the home arena of the Ontario Hockey League's Sarnia Sting in his hometown to mark the honour.
Fraser serves as analyst on TSN's hockey highlight show, That's Hockey 2Nite. [12]