FPHL BOG APPROVES OFFICIATING STAFF SUPERVISORS

Binghamton, NY - The Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL) is proud to announce that the Board of Governer's has Approved the addition of Game Day Supervisors to the FPHL Officiating Staff.  The use of Supervisors was presented by Paul Jene who is the current FPHL Director of Officials and Dave Jackson who is the current Director of Player Safety.  This will allow for our league officials to get more direct coaching & feedback as well as for teams to have a game day resource for more immediate feedback and clarification.

FPHL Commissioner Don Kirnan stated, “The goal of our League is to support our officials and continue our success with a 4-man system.”

Great news for the league!  Game Day Supervisors are basically coaches for the officiating staff.  Officiating supervisors are utilized at almost every level of hockey all the way up through the NHL.  And like the players, the officials are always working on their game to be the best at what they do.  The FPHL is comprised of officials from all levels including the AHL, ECHL, European Pro Leagues, NCAA DI, NCAA DIII, OHL, USHL, & many other US Junior Hockey Leagues.  

 

FPHL Director of Officiating Paul Jene stated “This is outstanding!  It shows that the league is dedicated to putting a better product on the ice and help make our game better. Last year we added Dave Jackson as our Director of Player Safety and that addition was priceless.  Now we are able to bring in more guys of his caliber to help our staff be the best they can be.  We are doing everything we can to make this league better each year.”  Jene further stated “Being an official is a thankless job and we are critiqued and criticized by everyone.  Single-A pro hockey is one of the hardest levels of hockey to work.  And our guys work their tails off.  There is a high amount of communication I have with all my guys and everyone here cares about the league and we all want it to get better.  Having supervisors attracts new officials, helps everyone apply a league wide standard and continue to progress their game to the next level.  Its just great to get the resources to continue to make more improvements."

Dave Jackson is the FPHL Director of Player Safety.  He is also the Director of Officials for the 3ICE Professional Summer League, a Game Day Rules Analyst for ESPN, and a former NHL Referee with 1546 Regular Season Game and 83 Playoff games.  When asked about adding supervisors to the league, Dave stated, "Supervision is used to better the game in many ways. It is a mechanism to coach and mentor officials to help them improve, boost their confidence and achieve a more uniform application of the standard of enforcement. It also serves as an outlet for teams who can voice their concerns directly to someone and allows them to receive explanations. Supervisors are a bridge between officials and teams that allow for a healthy dialogue and increased communication.”  The 2022-23 season was Jackson’s first year with the league.  We asked him what his view was after completing his first season in the FPHL.  Dave commented by saying, "I'm very encouraged by the rapport between management and player safety. Teams are committed to protecting the players and making the FPHL a destination for players looking to advance in their professional careers. The FPHL is committed to developing players as well as officials. We want our officials to succeed and be a place where they come to develop, gain experience and get the exposure to rise in the professional ranks."  

The Federal Prospects Hockey League (FPHL) is a Single-A Minor Professional hockey league and will be entering their 14th season when the 2023-24 season begins in October.  Visit FPHL at Federal Prospects Hockey League on Facebook.