CANADA: NHL PLAYERS AGREE TO RATIFY LABOUR CONTRACT - CP.

Date: Jan 13, 1995

TORONTO, Jan 13 (Reuter) - National Hockey League players have voted to ratify the final labour contract offer from the league, Larry Murphy of the Pittsburgh Penguins said, the Canadian Press newsagency reported.

"It was ratified by a majority of players on every team," Murphy said, CP reported.

The six-year contract was tentatively agreed to by the Players' Association on Wednesday and players from each of the 26 teams voted in a secret ballot.

"The National Hockey League Players Assocation membership has ratified the new collective bargaining agreement and that means that this afternoon the 26 teams will get back to training camps and get ready for a season which begins next Friday," NHL Players Association spokesman Steve McAllister said later.

"It's very good news for hockey fans," he said.

McAllister said he could not five a final tally as some players had not yet had a chance to vote on the agreement.

Approval of the contract required a majority of the approximately 700 members of the players' union.

The season was originally scheduled to begin on October 1 before the owners imposed a lockout.

"It was a majority of the membership on each of the 26 teams that voted in favour of the new agreement. We haven't broken down the numbers yet," McAllister said from the union's Toronto headquarters.

-- Toronto bureau (416) 941-8100

(c) Reuters Limited 1995. All rights reserved.