ECHL: Reading Royals Announce Season-Ending Roster

On Sunday, June 23rd, 2024, the Reading Royals announced their season-ending roster. Head Coach Jason Binkley reserved the rights of 17 players, with 11 being forwards and 6 being defensemen. Five players named on the 2024 season-ending roster were on the 2023 season-ending roster. Those players were Defensemen Mike Chen and Tyler Heidt and Forwards Yvan Mongo, Devon Paliani, and Shane Sellar.

Forwards: 

Tag Bertuzzi: After being traded from the Tulsa Oilers, Bertuzzi tallied 17 goals and 20 assists between being with the 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.

Brian Bowen: Bowen played in 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.

Jake Bricknell: During the 2023-2024 season, Bricknell saw four ECHL teams. Cincinnati Cyclones, Trois-Rivières Lions, Florida Everblades, and the Reading Royals. Bricknell played 59 games this season between the four teams and tallied seven goals with 9 assists.

Grant Hebert: Hebert was acquired by the Royals in a future considerations trade with the Allen Americans. Hebert played his first full season in the ECHL in the 2023-2024 season and dressed in 43 games. He tallied 10 goals and 10 assists. He played in five post-season games for the Americans and notched four assists.

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: Mongo dressed for 55 games. He notched 17 goals and 21 assists in those 55 games. Mongo had proved 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 during the 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.

Devon Paliani: Paliani 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.

Defensemen: 

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.

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 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.

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.

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.