SHREWSBURY, N.J. – The ECHL announced on Thursday that linesman Ken Radolinski has been named the 2025-26 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 beyond humbled to receive the Ryan Birmingham award for the 2025-26 season,” Radolinski said. “Aside from representing such an important member of our hockey community, I am grateful to my peers for awarding me with this honor. I have always taken pride in being the best teammate I could be. Helping to mentor and be there for the officiating staff has always been a top priority for me. To have skated with many of the previous award winners and be mentioned in the same breath is truly an honor.
 
“There are many people that have made an impact in my career, but one in particular, Allen Pierson. He taught me the importance of treating people with respect both on and off the ice. He was there at the start and he is still there today. I want to thank all of my peers within USA Hockey, including where it all started, Central Florida Hockey Officials and currently where it continues, Georgia Ice Hockey Officials Association. I have made so many friends along the way. Most of them I consider family.
 
“I want to thank my wife, Carol, for always supporting me in my officiating career,” he continued. “There have been countless days, nights, weekends and weeks where I have been away from home since we met in 2006. We have juggled our schedules for many years between work and our daughter Zoe. I couldn’t have done it without you. Thank you for being you and making it easy for me to do what I love.
 
“I would also like to thank Mr. Pat Kelly and Joe Ernst for giving me an opportunity to work this league. It was a dream of mine as a 15-year-old kid to skate in the ECHL and I cannot thank them enough for taking a chance on me. To Casey Terreri, Ryan Crelin, Dan Petrino, Tim Nowak, Tim Mayer, the officiating coaching staff and my teammates, thank you! This award means more to me than you could know.”
 
Radolinski began his officiating career with USA Hockey during the 1998-99 season, and joined the ECHL prior to the 2012-13 season. In addition to the ECHL, he currently works games in the American Hockey League and Federal Prospects Hockey League, and has previous experience in the SPHL. He is also responsible for scheduling officials for College Hockey League, USPHL in Florida and Georgia and for NA3HL junior hockey in Atlanta. Additionally, Radolinski has skated numerous national tournaments at the youth and collegiate levels.
 
“It is an honor to recognize Ken for his exceptional contributions to the ECHL Officiating Team,” said ECHL Manager of Officiating Operations Casey Terreri. “Ken represents the true meaning of this award through his professionalism, reliability and selfless dedication to the group. He consistently approaches the job with a team-first mindset and has always prioritized the integrity of the game above personal recognition. His commitment, leadership and steady presence have had a tremendous impact on our staff, and it is great to see him earn this well-deserved recognition from his peers.”
 
The ECHL will present the award to Radolinski during the 2026-27 season.
 
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 had 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.
 
There are 38 former ECHL officials who worked as part of the NHL officiating team in 2025-26 with referees Benjamin Betker, Jake Brenk, Riley Brace, Francis Charron, Tom Chmielewski, Mitch Dunning, Trevor Hanson, Beau Halkidis, Jean Hebert, Pierre Lambert, T.J. Luxmore, Peter MacDougall, Morgan MacPhee, Michael Markovic, Liam Maaskant, Wes McCauley, Jon McIsaac, Dan O’Rourke, Brian Pochmara, Kyle Rehman, Chris Rooney, Carter Sandlak, Graham Skilliter and Furman South and linesmen Steve Barton, Ryan Daisy, Julien Fournier, Brandon Gawryletz, Brandon Grillo, Trent Knorr, Matt MacPherson, Jesse Marquis, Kilian McNamara, Bevin Mills, CJ Murray, Shawn Oliver, Ben O’Quinn and Bryan Pancich. Charron, Jean Hebert, McCauley, Rooney and Knorr were selected to work the 2025 Stanley Cup Final.
 
Forty-eight of the 83 referees working in the American Hockey League, came from the ECHL, while 85 of the 154 linespeople in the AHL have worked games in the ECHL.
 
Ryan Birmingham Memorial Award Winners
2025-26           Ken Radolinski
2024-25           Logan Berkowitz
2023-24           Chuck Schamel
2022-23           Nolan Bloyer
2021-22           Christopher Williams
2020-21           Sean MacFarlane
2019-20           Andrew Bruggeman
2018-19           Patrick Richardson
2017-18           Charlie O’Connor
2016-17           Scott DeBaugh
2015-16           Camden Nuckols and Oliver “Butch” Mousseaux
2014-15           Scott Senger
2013-14           Travis Jackson
2012-13            Brad Phillips
2011-12           Jason Rollins
2010-11           Paul Carnathan
2009-10           Ray King
2008-09           Michel Voyer
2007-08           David Jones