Reading has retained the rights to 22 players for the 2024-2025 season. 18 players on the list skated for the Royals in the 2023-24 season. The protected list is just step one for the upcoming season with new Head Coach Jason Binkley, at the helm.
Forwards:
Tag Bertuzzi- During this season Bertuzzi has tallied 17 goals and 20 assists between being with Tulsa Oilers and Reading Royals. Bertuzzi was traded in November for former Royals forward Alec Butcher. Bertuzzi earned call-ups to the AHL this season with the Hartford Wolfpack and Belleville Senators.
Jake Bricknell- During the 2023-2024 season, Bricknell saw the likes of four ECHL teams. Cincinnati Cyclones, Trois-Rivières Lions, Florida Everblades, and the Reading Royals. Bricknell played in a total of 59 games this season between the four teams and tallied seven goals with 9 assists.
Brian Bowen- Bowen played in a total of 15 ECHL games this season between the Norfolk Admirals and Worcester Railers. During his time in the ECHL, he tallied four goals and one assist. Bowen ended his 2023-2024 season with the Birmingham Bulls in the SPHL and dressed for 16 games with 8 goals and 17 assists.
Ryan Cox- Cox was acquired from the Orlando Solar Bears and proved why he is an asset. During the 2023-2024 season, Cox played in a total of 58 games between Orlando and Reading. Cox tallied 14 goals with 12 assists between both teams.
Tyson Fawcett- Fawcett came back to the ECHL after 4 seasons in the EIHL. He is one of the only Royals players to have dressed in all 72 games. Fawcett notched 11 goals with 15 assists and served as Alternate Captain for the entirety of the season. Fawcett also saw a milestone of his 100th professional career goal in his 504th professional career game against the Wheeling Nailers on January 27th, 2024.
Steven Leonard- Leonard started the season in the SPHL with the Roanoke Railyard Dawgs. He played in 26 games and notched seven goals with 5 assists. He was recalled to the ECHL with the Iowa Heartlanders and the Reading Royals. With the Royals, he played in 16 games and earned 5 assists.
Austin Master- Master served his rookie season during the 2023-2024 season. He dressed in 40 games and earned two goals with seven assists. Master is a hometown player coming from Broomall, Pennsylvania.
Connor McMenamin- McMenamin came to Reading after his college season with the University of Minnesota-Duluth ended. With the University of Minnesota, he played in 35 games and tallied six goals and 15 assists. McMenamin played in 10 games with Reading but with no points tallied during those 10 games.
Yvan Mongo- During this season, Mongo dressed for 55 games. He notched 17 goals and 21 assists in the span of those 55 games. Mongo has proven himself to be a crucial part of the Reading Royals, and you know when he is not on the ice. Mongo sat for 13 games this season due to an injury but came back stronger and better afterward.
Joseph Nardi- Nardi played a key role in the Royals 2023-2024 season and led the team in points with 50 points. He notched 17 goals with 33 assists during the span of 71 games that he played. Nardi has seen time in the AHL with the Manitoba Moose and played for the Toledo Walleye. It was recently announced that Nardi has elected to play overseas in Austria with Pioneers Vorarlberg. Reading Royals will retain Nardi’s ECHL rights.
Max Newton- Royals retain Newton’s ECHL playing rights. Newton played 67 games for the Royals and tallied 34 goals with 38 assists in the 2022-2023 season. Newton elected to go overseas for the 2023-2024 season. He played in 25 games for HK Dukla Michalovce, earning seven goals and 13 assists. Newton has already signed with Krefeld Pinguine in DEL2 for the 2024-2025 season.
Devon Paliani- Paliani had a career year in terms of points. He ended the 2023-2024 season with 16 goals and 27 assists. In the 2022-2023 season, Paliani posted 15 goals with 15 assists. Paliani was often utilized on face-offs during games and served as Alternate Captain throughout the entirety of the season. Paliani also saw a milestone of 150 professional career games with 136 out of 172 professional games having been played for the Royals. Paliani, along with Fawcett, played all 72 games for the Royals.
Shane Sellar- Sellar returned to Reading for his Sophomore season for the 2023-2024 contest. Sellar dressed in 63 games and notched 15 goals with 16 assists. In the 2022-2023 season, Sellar played in 70 games and gathered 18 goals with 21 assists.
Jake Smith- Smith was acquired from the Greenville Swamp Rabbits. Smith made himself a valuable player on the ice for the Royals in his time during the 2023-2024 season. Between both Greenville and Reading, Smith dressed in 60 games and notched 19 goals with 17 assists.
Defenseman
Adam Brubacher- Brubacher played the entirety of the 2023-2024 season in Reading. He tallied 10 goals with 17 assists. Brubacher, in previous seasons, played for the Fort Wayne Komets. He also played in the AHL for the Manitoba Moose, Abbotsford Canucks, and Bakersfield Condors.
Mike Chen- Chen returned to Reading for a third season. He played in 26 games and had four assists. In the 2022-2023 season, Chen played in 42 games with four assists. Chen served as a veteran presence during the season.
Powell Connor- After playing three seasons for Michigan State University, Connor opted to play his fourth season with Canisius University. Playing 35 games for Canisius allowed him to get picked up by the Royals. In the 12 games played for the Royals, Connor notched one goal and three assists.
Ryan Cook- Reading retains the playing rights for Cook. Cook spent the majority of his professional career playing in the ECHL for teams such as South Carolina Stingrays, Norfolk Admirals, Adirondack Thunder, Kalamazoo Wings, and Reading Royals. With the Royals, Cook played in 14 games and had six assists in the regular season. During the 2022-2023 postseason, Cook played in five games and had one goal. Cook opted to play overseas for the 2023-2024 season with GKS Katowice. He played in 40 regular season games, tallying three goals and five assists. Cook played in 18 postseason games for Katowice and notched three goals and three assists.
Dominic Cormier- Cormier started his professional playing career in the ECHL and played for four teams during his time with the ECHL. He played for Rapid City Rush, Wheeling Nailers, Allen Americans, and Reading Royals. Cormier played in 107 games for the Royals and tallied 23 goals with 30 assists. Cormier opted to play overseas with HC Banska Bystrica. Cormier started the 2023-2024 season with Stjernen Hockey and then played for Sheffield Steelers in the EIHL. He is currently re-signed for the 2024-2025 season with Sheffield. Reading will retain Cormier’s ECHL playing rights.
Ryan Devine- Devine was picked up towards the end of the 2023-2024 season from the Kansas City Mavericks. Devine played in 54 games between Kansas City and Reading and notched one goal and seven assists. Before the ECHL, Devine spent time in the SPHL with Columbus Cottonmouths, Pensacola Ice Flyers, Quad City Storm, Macon Mayhem, Vermillion County Bobcats, and Knoxville Icebears. Devine played in 108 SPHL games and notched eight goals with 27 assists.
Tyler Heidt- Heidt came to Reading in the 2022-2023 season from the University of Regina. Heidt played in 18 regular season games and tallied four goals with nine assists. He assisted the team in the 2022-2023 postseason run. Heidt dressed in 11 games and earned one goal. In the 2023-2024 season, Heidt played in eight games with no points tallied. Heidt missed all but eight games due to a season-ending injury, which ultimately left a hole in the blue line for Reading.
Kenny Johnson- After hitting the ECHL after playing four years with Penn State University, Johnson was picked up by the Wheeling Nailers and the Orlando Solar Bears. He played in seven games for the 2022-2023 season and tallied one goal between the two teams. Johnson was added to the Royals roster in November 2023. He dressed for 46 games and notched one goal with 10 assists.
