The Reading Royals are the proud ECHL affiliate to the Philadelphia Flyers, but where exactly did this team in Reading, Pennsylvania get its start?
The Columbus Chill
Before the Royals became known as the Reading Royals, they were originally named the Columbus Chill and played in Columbus, Ohio. The team was founded in 1991 and played in the East Coast Hockey League at the Ohio Expo Center Coliseum. The Chill served as a team until the 1998-99 season, where operations would be suspended in 1999 in order to make room for the Columbus Blue Jackets of the National Hockey League. The team in its few years of operations received two division titles, one in the 1996-97 season and the other in the 1998-99 season. When their last season ended in 1999, they remained inactive while the necessary changes were made to start operations for the new NHL team. It was in 2001 that the Chill relocated their franchise to Reading, Pennsylvania where they adopted the new name, the Reading Royals.
The Reading Royals
The Reading Royals started off their new franchise in 2001 under the affiliation of the LA Kings who, at the time, had the AHL affiliate as the Manchester Monarchs. The team no longer had the black and white colors originally sported in Columbus, instead sticking to the Kings’ color of purple which became their iconic color recognized throughout the sport of hockey. It was not until 2014 that they became an affiliate to the Philadelphia Flyers, giving the team a complete affiliation that was within hours of one another. Currently the team plays within the North Division of the ECHL which consists of the Newfoundland Growlers, Maine Mariners, Worcester Railers, Adirondack Thunder, Trois-Rivières Lions, and Norfolk Admirals as of the 2022-23 season.
The Santander Arena
The Reading Royals now play in downtown Reading, Pennsylvania at the Santander Arena. The arena was once called the Sovereign Center, built in 2001, changing its name to the Santander Arena in 2013 and currently seats 7,160. It was in this arena that the Reading Royals won their first Kelly Cup in 2013 making this year their ten year anniversary to that championship win. During that series, they faced the Stockton Thunder, a team that was purchased by the Calgary flames and moved to Glen Falls, New York where they are now called the Adirondack Thunder.
The Reading Royals are now in their 21st year of operation and much like other teams across the ECHL, they hope to make this a successful one. As of 2/18/23, the Royals are currently third in the North Division with plenty of games to go before playoffs.
