The Federal Prospects Hockey League has named the officials working Games 1 and 2 of the 2025 Commissioner’s Cup Final.  Four referees and two linesmen have been selected to handle the championship series. 

Referees:

  • Jonathon Sitarski (#23)
  • Justin Crawford (#49)
  • Brian Pincus (#5)
  • Ron Johnson (#24)

Linesmen:

  • Andrew Wilkalis (#10)
  • Bryan Thurnauer (#61)

 

Sitarksi and Crawford are slated to work Games 1 and 2 of the series.

The officials have been chosen by the league “based on merit and overall consistency of their performance over the course of the 2024-25 FPHL Regular & Post Season play.”

From the FPHL: 

The FPHL is proud to showcase its officiating staff and quite a number of the officials in the FPHL have come from much higher levels of hockey. Some of this season’s selected officials for the Commissioners Cup Finals have worked higher levels such as the American Hockey League (AHL) & East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) in both current and past seasons.

Jon Sitarski has been on staff in the AHL as well as the Big10 (NCAA D1) for the past 8 seasons. He has quite the post season resume working Finals in the USHL & SPHL in 2016, Asia League Finals in 2015 & 2016, ECHL Conference Finals in 2017 & 2018. He has also worked Big10 Playoffs the past 5 seasons as well as the NCAA Regional in 2023 & 2024. This is Sitarski’s 2nd FPHL Finals.

Justin Crawford has worked in the NCAA D1 in various conferences since 2016 and has worked their playoffs in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 & 2022. This is Crawford’s 1st FPHL Finals.

Brian Pincus has been on staff in the AHL the past 9 seasons. He’s worked the Atlantic (NCAA D1) conference playoffs in 2017 & 2018. This is Pincus’s 1st FPHL Finals.

Ron Johnson has been a Referee in the ACHA D1 since 2010 & with the FPHL since 2019. This is Johnson’s 1st FPHL Finals.

Bryan Thurnauer has worked the FPHL since 2018 as well as Atlantic Hockey America since 2024. This is Thurnauer’s 2nd FPHL Finals.

Andrew Wilkalis has worked the FPHL since 2022. This is Wilkalis’s 2nd FPHL Finals.

As in the regular season, all FPHL Finals will be officiated by a four-man crew of two referees and two linesmen.

The FPHL Commissioner’s Cup Finals get under way on Friday, May 2, featuring a best-of-5 series between the Binghamton Black Bears and the Carolina Thunderbirds. 

Binghamton Black Bears vs. Carolina Thunderbirds

Game 1 – Friday, May 2nd at 7:35 p.m. ET at Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Arena – Winston-Salem, NC

Game 2 – Saturday, May 3rd at 6:05 p.m. ET at Winston-Salem Fairgrounds Arena – Winston-Salem, NC

Game 3 – Friday, May 9th at 7:00 p.m. ET at Visions Veterans Memorial Arena – Binghamton, NY

*Game 4 – Saturday, May 10th at 7:00 p.m. ET at Visions Veterans Memorial Arena – Binghamton, NY

*Game 5 – Sunday, May 11th at 6:00 p.m. ET at Visions Veterans Memorial Arena – Binghamton, NY

* – If Necessary

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