The Reading Royals
are a professional ECHL ice hockey team located in Reading, Pennsylvania, USA. The team in the North Division of the ECHL's American Conference. The Royals play in the Sovereign Center located in Downtown Reading and their colors are purple, black, and silver. Since 2001, the Royals have ranked among ECHL leaders in regular season attendance. On March 25, 2006 against the Trenton Titans, the Royals reached their one millionth fan in attendance. The Royals main rival is cross-state opponent Johnstown Chiefs. Lately, they have been in a rivalry with the Elmira Jackals. Reading hosted its second ECHL All-Star Game in 2009.
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| EVENT | DATE | AVAILABILITY |
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| Adirondack Thunder vs. Reading Royals Tickets 11/15 | Nov 15, 2024
Fri, 7:00 PM |  | | Adirondack Thunder vs. Reading Royals Tickets 11/16 | Nov 16, 2024
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Franchise history
The current
Reading Royals
franchise was formed in 1991 as the expansion franchise
Columbus Chill. David Paitson was team's first President/General Manager and former NHL player
Terry Ruskowski, the head coach, started the team with a goal of introducing new audiences to the sport of ice hockey and building a strong fan base. The two were successful with the help of an extensive marketing plan. The Chill's 83-game sellout streak beginning in early January 1992 still stands as a minor league hockey record today.
[1] It would take the team two seasons to reach the playoffs, doing so in 1994 under coach Ruskowski. The Chill would go on to win two conference championships and make the playoffs for five of the eight seasons.
The Chill were a key part of the growth of hockey in
Columbus, Ohio and paved the way for the
NHL expansion
Columbus Blue Jackets.
The 1998–99 season would be the franchise's final season as the team was voluntarily suspended to be moved to
Reading, Pennsylvania to make room for the
Jackets.
The move created big changes for the franchise, In 2001 the franchise returned to active status in the ECHL with a new name and colors, the Reading Royals became the
ECHL affiliate of the
Los Angeles Kings/
Manchester Monarchs.
The team's first entrance into the
Kelly Cup Playoffs came in 2004 while in their third season, when they won the North Division Championship under head coach Derek Clancey. Then during the next season, they became the North Division Regular Season Champions, only to lose to the eventual
Kelly Cup Champion, Trenton Titans in the North Division Finals.
Under coach Karl Taylor, the Royals had generally mediocre performance in regular season and post-season play. For three seasons straight, the Royals were unable to play past the first round of the
Kelly Cup Playoffs.
2007–2008 was another story. Skaters
Dany Roussin and
Brock Hooton enjoyed some fame in Reading due to their "goal-a-game" nature for much of the season, while tough-guys
Steven Later and
Malcolm MacMillian were among league leaders in penalty minutes. After a strong finish to a boring regular season, Taylor led the team to the North Division Finals where their tour ended in a heated 7-game battle with the unstoppable
Cincinnati Cyclones. The
Cyclones continued on to sweep past other teams to win the
cup, but the Royals were the only team to take them to seven games in the playoffs.
Some better-known players to come out the Reading Royals organization include
Los Angeles Kings goaltenders
Barry Brust and
Jon Quick, goaltender
Yutaka Fukufuji,
Phoenix Coyotes winger
Ryan Flinn, and
Anaheim Ducks winger
George Parros, who was the first Royal to appear in the
Stanley Cup finals. Veteran
Larry "The Legend" Courville and former head coach
Derek Clancey have also contributed to the Royals organization.
The end of an era; a new dawn in Reading
The 2007–2008 season would be
Karl Taylor's last with the Royals organization. In late June 2008, General Manager Gordon Kaye announced that Taylor will leave Reading to serve as coach for the new
Ontario Reign of the
ECHL for 08–09. The Royals were left without a coach, and had not yet announced any prospects.
In a press conference on July 9, 2008, the Royals organization announced that they are now the primary
ECHL affiliate of the
Toronto Maple Leafs and the secondary
ECHL affiliate for the
Los Angeles Kings for the 2008–2009 season. The Royals continue to wear their colors of purple, black, and silver
The
Sovereign Center and the city of
Reading, Pennsylvania are also the hosts of the 2009 All-Star Game and Skills Challenge for the ECHL. During this exciting upcoming season, as an affiliate of a team with great history, the Royals plan to highlight the rich tradition of hockey in Reading - as well as Toronto, an
Original Six team.
Gordon Kaye (GM) has a great feeling about what is to come. "We believe that this relationship [with Toronto] will provide us with the best opportunity to give our fans what they want and deserve - an
ECHL championship."
On July 24, 2008, Reading announced that Jason Nobili will be head coach for the 2008–2009 season. Unfortunately, Nobili was unable to coax much from the team and was dismissed by Kaye on January 6, 2009, with the team mired in last place overall in the ECHL. Larry Courville was named as interim coach for the remainder of the season.
On April 4th of 2009, General Manager Gordon Kaye announced that Courville will return for the 2009–2010 season as full-time head coach.
[2]
On August 4, 2009, The Royals announced it renewed its primary affiliation with the Maple Leafs and the
AHL's Toronto Marlies, and signed a secondary affiliation with the
Boston Bruins.
[3]
Current roster
As of July 27, 2009
| Goaltenders
|
| #
|
| align=left
| Player
| Catches
| Acquired
| Place of birth
| Contract status
| Protected List
|
| 1
|
| Michael Ouzas
| R
| 2008
| Hamilton, Ontario
| Toronto Marlies (AHL) Contract
|
|
| 30
|
| Beau Erickson
| L
| 2009
| Hinton, Iowa
| Royals Contract
| X
|
| Defensemen
|
| #
|
| align=left
| Player
| Shoots
| Acquired
| Place of birth
| Contract status
| Protected List
|
| 2
|
| Kyle Hagel
| R
| 2008
| Hamilton, Ontario
| Royals Contract
| X
|
| 4
|
| Tom Sawatske
| R
| 2009
| Duluth, Minnesota
| Royals Contract
| X
|
| 5
|
| Tim Branham
| L
| 2008
| Eagle River, Wisconsin
| Royals Contract
| X
|
| 7
|
| Matt Curley
| L
| 2008
| Madrid, New York
| Royals Contract
| X
|
| 15
|
| Scott Langdon
| L
| 2008
| Ancaster, Ontario
| Toronto Marlies (AHL) Contract
|
|
| 19
|
| Brett Thurston
| L
| 2008
| Strathmore, Alberta
| Royals Contract
| X
|
| 23
|
| Dinos Stamoulis
| L
| 2008
| Carle Place, New York
| Royals Contract
| X
|
| --
|
| Ryan Crane
| L
| 2009
| Mississauga, Ontario
| Royals Contract
|
|
| --
|
| Kyle Peto
| L
| 2009
| Lethbridge, Alberta
| Royals Contract
| X
|
| --
|
| Joey Ryan
| R
| 2009
| Stoneham, Massachusetts
| Toronto Marlies (AHL) Contract
|
|
| Forwards
|
| #
|
| align=left
| Player
| Shoots
| Acquired
| Place of birth
| Contract status
| Protected List
|
| 3
|
| Rob LaLonde
| L
| 2006
| Williamsville, New York
| Royals Contract
| X
|
| 9
|
| Luciano Aquino
| L
| 2008
| Mississauga, Ontario
| Asiago Hockey AS (Italy) Contract
| X
|
| 9
|
| Chris Stevens
| L
| 2008
| Dawson Creek, British Columbia
| Royals Contract
| X
|
| 10
|
| Mike Curry
| R
| 2009
| Eagle River, Alaska
| Royals Contract
| X
|
| 11
|
| Ben McLeod
| L
| 2009
| Edmonton, Alberta
| Royals Contract
| X
|
| 13
|
| Ben Gordon
| L
| 2009
| International Falls, Minnesota
| Manglerud Star (Norway) Contract
| X
|
| 13
|
| Kirk MacDonald
| R
| 2008
| Victoria, British Columbia
| Royals Contract
| X
|
| 14
|
| Ned Lukacevic
| L
| 2007
| Podgorica, Yugoslavia
| Boston Bruins Contract
| X
|
| 14
|
| David Nimmo
| L
| 2008
| St. Albert, Alberta
| Amarillo Gorillas (CHL) Contract
| X
|
| 16
|
| Dannick Bouchard
| R
| 2009
| Quebec City, Quebec
| Royals Contract
| X
|
| 17
|
| Ryan Toomey
| R
| 2009
| Bolton, Ontario
| Royals Contract
| X
|
| 19
|
| Kevin Harvey
| L
| 2008
| Hamilton, Ontario
| Royals Contract
| X
|
| 20
|
| Tyler Doig
| R
| 2008
| Seaforth, Ontario
| Toronto Marlies (AHL) Contract
|
|
| 21
|
| Matt Herneisen
| R
| 2007
| Gilbertsville, Pennsylvania
| Royals Contract
| X
|
| 23
|
| Ryan Gibbons
| R
| 2009
| West Vancouver, British Columbia
| Royals Contract
| X
|
| 25
|
| Levi Nelson
| R
| 2009
| Calgary, Alberta
| Boston Bruins Contract
|
|
| 28
|
| Joe Cooper
| R
| 2008
| Toronto, Ontario
| Toronto Marlies (AHL) Contract
|
|
| 43
|
| Dan Rudisuela
| R
| 2008
| Mississauga, Ontario
| Toronto Marlies (AHL) Contract
|
|
| --
|
| Chris Blight
| R
| 2007
| Cambridge, Ontario
| EVR Tower Stars Ravenburg (Germany) Contract
| X
|
| --
|
| Shawn Collymore
| R
| 2006
| LaSalle, Quebec
| Stavanger Oilers (Norway) Contract
| X
|
| --
|
| Ryan Cruthers
| R
| 2009
| Farmingdale, New York
| Royals Contract
| X
|
| --
|
| Brock Hooton
| R
| 2007
| Nanaimo, British Columbia
| Schwenninger Wild Wings (Germany) Contract
| X
|
| --
|
| Bracken Kearns
| R
| 2007
| Vancouver, British Columbia
| Rockford IceHogs (AHL) Contract
| X
|
| --
|
| Kyle Rank
| R
| 2009
| Elmira, Ontario
| Royals Contract
|
|
| --
|
| Kevin Saurette
| R
| 2005
| Winnipeg, Manitoba
| ETC Crimmitschau (Germany) Contract
| X
|
| --
|
| Karl Sellan
| R
| 2009
| Quebec City, Quebec
| Royals Contract
|
|
References
- Title Unavailable
- http://www.royalshockey.com/news/news.asp?story_id=851 | Larry Courville Named Royals' Head Coach
- http://www.royalshockey.com/news/news.asp?story_id=883 | Royals affiliate with Toronto and Boston