On February 8th, 2024, Reading Royals announced that former defenseman and Royals Assistant Coach Nick Luukko as the selection for the 2024 Wall of Honor. The induction ceremony will take place on March 8th, prior to puck drop against the Norfolk Admirals at Santander Arena in Reading, PA.
Luukko, who is a West Chester, PA native is third in all time games played at 274. He ranks first in all time defensive scoring with 87 points. Luukko was awarded Royals Defensive Player of the Year award three seasons consecutively. In his final season, in 2019, Luukko was awarded the Team Ironman Award, along with Adam Schmidt and Chris McCarthy.
After playing for the Royals, Luukko was named Assistant Coach for the 2019-2020 season under former Royals Head Coach, Kirk MacDonald. The Royals went 37-17-6, in the shortened season. They were able to clinch a playoff spot that season with 80 points and were sixth in the ECHL at the time of the season’s cancellations. The Royals were second in the division behind rivals Newfoundland Growlers during that season.
Luukko attended University of Vermont from 2011-2015. He played 131 and notched eight goals and 27 assists in that span. He played for the Dubuque Fighting Saints in the 2011 season and won the Clark Cup of the USHL.
Other than seven call ups to the AHL, he spent his entire professional career in Reading. He was drafted by the Flyers in the sixth round of the 2010 Draft.
