Friday started his officiating career in the NHL as a linesman for the 1959-60 season. Likely due to his name, he and his family would constantly hear chants of "Friday is a bum, Friday is a bum". In 1969, Friday served as the first president of the NHL Officials Association. He moved to the WHA in 1972 on an initial contract of $50,000 a year for three years (the NHL had been paying him $22,000 and countered with raising it to $34,000 at the final offer) but elected to sign with the WHA due to his five children at home; he ultimately worked for the league in all seven years and never had a paycheck missed. He refereed the first ever WHA game in 1973. A noted showman who was quoted as one who "enjoyed the notoriety", he referred over the games of players ranging from
Gordie Howe to
Marc Tardif all the way to
Wayne Gretzky. After refereeing in the
Avco Cup in 1975, he had announced his retirement. In 1976 he was named the WHA's referee-in-chief and he did referee games in 1977 for the Finals. He ultimately referred the final WHA game in 1979. ==Personal life and death==