Rollins Receives 2012 Ryan Birmingham Memorial Award
Published on May 9, 2012 under ECHL (ECHL) News Release
PRINCETON, N.J. - The ECHL on Wednesday announced that referee Jason Rollins is the 2011-12 recipient of the Ryan Birmingham Memorial Award .
The award honors an On-Ice Official for his contributions and dedication to the league officiating staff and is determined in voting of ECHL On-Ice Officials. It is named in honor of ECHL linesman Ryan Birmingham who tragically lost his life in an automobile accident in May 2007.
"I am honored to be selected by my fellow officials as the 2012 recipient of the Ryan Birmingham Memorial Award," Rollins said. "I have had the good fortune of working with many great guys over my years in the ECHL, including Ryan during the 2006-2007 season. Ryan brought a sincere heart along with a genuine passion to work and loved the game each and every night. I would like to thank the ECHL officiating staff for this nomination as I have always enjoyed working with new and familiar faces each season."
Rollins, who becomes the first referee to win the award, worked his 500th game as an ECHL referee on March 27 in Greenville, becoming just the fourth referee in the 24-year history of the ECHL to reach the 500-game milestone. He worked his first ECHL game as a referee during the 2000-2001 season in Greensboro, N.C., and worked the 2007 All-Star Game in Boise and has also worked the 2007 and 2008 Kelly Cup Finals.
"Jason is a very well-deserving recipient of the Birmingham Award," said ECHL Vice President of Hockey Operations Joe Ernst. "He is dedicated to the game of hockey and the ECHL and is always willing to help our younger officials become better. I am very pleased for Jason as he represents what the Birmingham Award is all about."
The 2007-08 edition of the ECHL Rule Book was dedicated to the memory of Birmingham, who was featured on the back cover, and ECHL on-ice officials wore a commemorative patch on their left shoulder that has 60, which is the number that Birmingham wore, and the initials RJB.
Birmingham began his officiating career when he was 12 years old in the Southgate Minor Hockey Association and worked his way into the USA Hockey Junior Officiating Development Program in 2003. Birmingham was hired as a full-time linesman by the ECHL in 2006 and worked 83 games in the regular season and four games in the Kelly Cup Playoffs, including his final game, Florida at Charlotte, on April 17, 2007.
Twenty-four former ECHL officials worked as part of the NHL officiating team in 2011-12 with referees David Banfield, Darcy Burchell, Francis Charron, Ghislain Hebert, Jean Hebert, Marc Joannette, Mike Leggo, Mark Lemelin, Wes McCauley, Dean Morton, Dan O'Rourke, Brian Pochmara, Kevin Pollock, Kyle Rehman, Chris Rooney, Justin St. Pierre, Graham Skilliter and Ian Walsh, and linesmen Steve Barton, Brian Mach, Matt MacPherson, Tim Nowak, Bryan Pancich and Jay Sharrers.
Ryan Birmingham Memorial Award Winners
YEAR WINNER
2012 Jason Rollins
2011 Paul Carnathan
2010 Ray King
2009 Michel Voyer
2008 David Jones
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- Rollins Receives 2012 Ryan Birmingham Memorial Award - ECHL
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