On Wednesday, February 21, 2024, Devon Paliani, most commonly known to the Reading fanbase and around the rink as “Pali”, will be playing his 150th professional career game. This game will come against the Newfoundland Growlers.
Throughout Paliani’s ECHL career, he has played for Maine Mariners, Worcester Railers, and Toledo Walleye, and has found a home in Reading, PA with the Reading Royals. In the span of his career thus far, he has tallied 28 goals and 36 assists. In the 2023-2024 season alone, he has notched 10 goals with 17 assists. He is 3 points away from matching his career high and 4 points away from surpassing it.
Before coming into the pro ranks, Paliani completed 4 years at Ryerson University, of USports. For 98 games in college, Paliani tallied 34 goals and 38 assists. In the 19-20 season, Paliani scored a goal in overtime that took the team to the second round of playoffs. Ryerson finished that playoff series before the COVID pandemic halted everything in contact sports.
During this season, Paliani has been wearing the “A” on his sweater and has served acting Captain duties on and off the ice.
“It means alot. Anytime you get chosen to lead a group of professional athletes, it’s a big honor. It comes with alot more responsibilities. You kind of feel like your first few years in the league, you worry about yourself and the team’s winning. Now, you gotta worry not only about your own game, but all the other guys in the room. I want to lead by example. Sometimes when the guys need a spark, you have to put your own accolades aside and kind of do stuff for the team. I would say probably one of the best things is never get too high, never too low. You know, during the season, you play 72 games. So much can go on. You can have one week where your team is winning, and you’re playing really good, and scoring, and you feel confident. The next week, you are minus three and three games. You lose all three games, you don’t score and it feels like the world is ending. I would say, just for a long season, alot of travel, alot of bumps and bruises, you can never let yourself get too high or too low. You have to try to stay even keel.”
Here is to game 150 plus many more to come!
