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Reading Royals

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The Reading Royals are a professional ice hockey team that currently plays in the ECHL . The team participates in the North Division of the ECHL's Eastern Conference. The Royals play their home games at the Santander Arena located in downtown Reading, Pennsylvania .

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45-630: Since 2001, the Royals have ranked among ECHL leaders in regular season attendance. On March 25, 2006, against the Trenton Titans , the Royals reached their one millionth fan in attendance. The Royals hosted two ECHL All-Star Games; one in 2005 and one in 2009. The Royals were the 2013 ECHL Kelly Cup champions. They earned the title with a five-game victory over the Stockton Thunder in the 2013 Kelly Cup Finals . The Reading Royals were founded in 1991 as

90-578: A 29-save shutout and the Royals defeated the Thunder 6–0 to claim the team's first Kelly Cup. Riley Gill was named the MVP for the playoffs with a 13–4–0 record, a 1.91 a goals against average, a .930 save percentage, and four shutouts. In 2014, Jack Gulati purchased all shares of the ownership of the Royals from SMG and BCCCA. In June 2014, the Philadelphia Flyers announced a two-year affiliation agreement with

135-528: A lower minor league team. While experiencing numerous financial issues, it was announced on April 23, 2013 the Titans would cease operations for the 2013–14 season . Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, SOL = Shootout losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes 19 : Scott Bertoli (Retired on February 21, 2009; Re-dedicated on October 22, 2011) The Titans were covered by

180-590: A minor league hockey record today. It would take the team two seasons to reach the playoffs, doing so in 1994 under coach Ruskowski. The Chill would go on to win two conference championships and make the playoffs for five of the eight seasons. The Chill were a key part of the growth of hockey in Columbus, Ohio , and paved the way for the National Hockey League expansion Columbus Blue Jackets in 2000. The Chill then suspended operations for in 1999 to make room for

225-749: A professional minor league ice hockey team that played in the ECHL . The team last played in the Atlantic Division of the ECHL's Eastern Conference. The Titans played their home games at the Sun National Bank Center in Trenton, New Jersey . Established in 1999, the team was owned by Delaware Valley Sports Group LLC, a local ownership group. They were most recently the ECHL affiliate of the NHL 's Philadelphia Flyers and

270-797: A strong finish to the regular season, Taylor led the team to the North Division Finals where their tour ended in a seven-game battle with the Cincinnati Cyclones . The Cyclones continued on to sweep past other teams to win the Kelly Cup, but the Royals were the only team to take them to seven games in the playoffs. Some better-known players during this era who played for the Royals include Los Angeles Kings goaltenders Barry Brust , Jonathan Quick , and Yutaka Fukufuji ; Phoenix Coyotes winger Ryan Flinn ; Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender James Reimer ; and Anaheim Ducks winger George Parros , who

315-533: A total attendance of 210,801 at 36 home games, an average of 5,856 per game, making it second-highest in the league. Kyle Kraemer lead the franchise in goals scored for the Reign. During the 2009–10 regular season, the Reign went 31-31-3-7 and despite being a playoff contender until almost the last regular season game, they were unable to secure a playoff berth. The Reign had a total attendance of 232,223 at 36 home games, an average of 6,451 per game and over 10% higher than

360-515: Is the only one to be retired by the franchise, was named senior adviser of hockey operations for the team. Former Titans' general manager from 2001–05, Richard Lisk, rejoined the team and was appointed to be the franchise's president and CEO. Former Titans defenseman and previous assistant coach during the Trenton Devils years Vince Williams was named head coach of the Titans on August 1, 2011. NHL veteran and original Titan Todd Fedoruk

405-591: The 2011–12 season with a franchise-best 43-21-5-3 record and clinched their second Pacific Division title. The name was derived from an abstract noun related to royalty . Its name follows the pattern the Kings have established with the AHL affiliate the Manchester Monarchs . The name was chosen from a contest held by the team's website, where over 600 entries were submitted. Mike Brewster of Fontana, California submitted

450-468: The 2020–21 ECHL season . The team returned for the 2021–22 season with another renewed affiliation with the Flyers. On June 13, 2022, MacDonald announced he would resign as head coach. On June 17, 2022, the Royals announced that James Henry would take over as head coach. On August 8, 2022, the Royals and Flyers announced that their partnership extended throughout the 2023–24 season with an option to extend

495-509: The AHL 's Adirondack Phantoms . The Titans finished with the best record in the ECHL once in 2002 , and qualified for the playoffs for eight out of their fourteen seasons. They won the league's Kelly Cup championship in 2005 . The team was owned by the New Jersey Devils from 2006 to 2011, but remained an affiliate of the Flyers under the Titans name for the 2006–07 ECHL season . Renamed

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540-667: The Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies were rivals of the Titans. They played for the Garden State Cup, which was awarded to the regular season series winner between New Jersey's two ECHL teams. In 2006, the New Jersey Devils bought the Trenton Titans and the team became the ECHL affiliate of the Devils for the 2006–07 season . The team still maintained their affiliation with the Flyers for that season only. In 2007,

585-456: The Chicago Wolves of the AHL as an assistant coach. He left Ontario with a 96-99-22 record. On August 23, 2011, the Reign announced that Jason Christie would succeed Taylor as head coach for the 2011–12 season. On August 24, 2011, the team announced that Christie would be joined behind the bench by former Los Angeles Kings defenseman and assistant coach Mark Hardy . The Reign finished

630-474: The Columbus Chill . David Paitson was the team's first president and general manager while former NHL player Terry Ruskowski was the head coach, started the team with a goal of introducing new audiences to the sport of ice hockey and building a strong fan base. The two were successful with the help of an extensive marketing plan. The Chill's 83-game sellout streak beginning in early January 1992 still stands as

675-637: The Los Angeles Kings were the team's primary affiliate, and the Winnipeg Jets were the secondary affiliate. In 2015, the franchise moved to Manchester, New Hampshire , to become the Manchester Monarchs while the Monarchs of the American Hockey League (AHL) then moved to California to become the new Ontario Reign as part of the AHL's plan to create a Pacific Division. The Reign started as

720-652: The New Jersey Devils announced that the Titans were changing their name to the Trenton Devils . This re-branding alienated fans in the Trenton area, many of whom were part of the Philadelphia Flyers' (and to a lesser extent, the fellow NHL rivals of the Devils in the New York Rangers ) fan base. The name change and the team's lackluster record led to a significant decline in attendance, positioning Trenton at or near

765-577: The Ontario Reign . The new team would also become the primary affiliate for AEG's Kings and Monarchs. On July 9, 2008, the Royals became the affiliate of the Boston Bruins and a secondary affiliate for the Toronto Maple Leafs for the 2008–09 season. The Royals continued to wear their colors of purple, black, and silver. The Santander Arena and the city of Reading, Pennsylvania , were also named

810-598: The 2009–10 season as full-time head coach. On August 4, 2009, The Royals announced it renewed their affiliations with the Bruins and Maple Leafs and the AHL's Toronto Marlies . In 2011, AEG sold off its shares of the Royals to the Berks County Convention Center Authority (BCCCA). On July 9, 2012, the Royals became the affiliate of the Washington Capitals . At the end of their first season with

855-554: The 2018–19 season with a six-game win streak and eight-game point streak, finishing with 78 points and a 34–28–4–6 record, but were one point behind the Brampton Beast for the final playoff spot in the North Division. Reading had the most points of any team to miss the 2019 Kelly Cup playoffs . The Royals used eight goaltenders through the season, tied for the most in team history. Jamie Phillips went 8–2–0–1 in his final 12 games of

900-590: The Blue Jackets. The Chill franchise relocated during their inactive two year status to their present location in downtown Reading, Pennsylvania , for the 2001–02 season as the Reading Royals. When the franchise returned to active status in the ECHL, they became the affiliate of the NHL's Los Angeles Kings and their American Hockey League affiliate, the Manchester Monarchs . At the time, the Royals were partially owned by

945-675: The Capitals, the Royals won the 2013 Kelly Cup by defeating the Stockton Thunder in five games. Captain Yannick Tifu played in every regular season and postseason game, scoring a game-winning goal in the final minutes of game four of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Cincinnati Cyclones . Reading won the first three games of the 2013 Kelly Cup Finals against the Stockton Thunder. On May 25, 2013, goaltender Riley Gill had

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990-463: The ECHL franchise. Two weeks prior to the announcement of the Trenton Devils' suspension of operations, the ECHL registered the Trenton Titans name with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, with a logo description that was similar to the logo used by the Titans from 1999 to 2007. One week after the Devils suspended operations, a group of local fans began lobbying investors to restart

1035-630: The Huntington Blizzard in 1993. After the 1999–2000 season , the team went dormant until 2003, when new owners bought the team and moved it to Beaumont, Texas as the Texas Wildcatters . The team played as the Wildcatters until they were unable to secure an arena lease in Beaumont in 2008. On February 26, 2008, the team announced its plan to relocate to Ontario for the 2008–09 season and became

1080-631: The Ontario Reign. The team's logo was unveiled on March 17, 2008. During the 2008–09 regular season, the Reign went 38-29-4-2 and captured the 2008–09 Pacific Division championship. However, their success was short lived as they lost in round one of the playoffs to the Stockton Thunder. Head Coach Karl Taylor finished second in the John Brophy Award balloting for ECHL Coach of the Year, losing to Trenton Titans ' head coach Rick Kowalsky . The Reign had

1125-435: The Royals in the North Division semifinals. The Monarchs won the first two games of the series in double overtime despite goaltender John Muse making 54 saves in game one and 53 in game two. In game three, Muse registered 52 saves, giving the three-highest postseason save performances from a Reading netminder in a four-day span. Forward Matt Willows lead the team with 32 goals and 74 points before he announced his retirement after

1170-483: The Royals, giving the Flyers an entirely Pennsylvania based minor league system for the first time since 1997–98. The Flyers and Royals agreed to a multi-year affiliation extension in 2016. During his eighth full season as head coach, Courville announced he would be stepping down at the end of the 2016–17 season. However, one day after qualifying for the 2017 playoffs , he was fired by the Royals and replaced by assistant Kirk MacDonald on an interim basis. The interim tag

1215-650: The Titans won the Kelly Cup by defeating the Florida Everblades , four games to two. Leon Hayward was named the MVP of the Kelly Cup Finals. Rick Kowalsky was Trenton's captain. After the season, head coach Mike Havilland was hired by the AHL 's Norfolk Admirals . Assistant coach Ted Dent was hired by the Columbia Inferno . Before moving to Stockton, California to become the Stockton Thunder in 2005,

1260-486: The Trenton Devils, the team was affiliated with the New Jersey Devils starting from the 2007–08 ECHL season . After the team was sold in 2011, the team reverted to the Titans moniker and affiliation with the Flyers for the 2011–12 ECHL season . The ECHL announced on April 23, 2013 that the Titans had ceased operations and that all players are considered unrestricted free agents, effective immediately. The ECHL awarded Trenton an expansion team in 1996, three years before

1305-526: The bottom of the league in attendance. The only exception to this was on February 21, 2009, when the Trenton Devils retired former Titan Kelly Cup champion Scott Bertoli 's No. 19 in front of a crowd of 6,013 fans. On July 6, 2011, the New Jersey Devils announced that the Trenton Devils would be suspending operations immediately, citing a desire to restructure their player development system to more closely mirror those of other NHL franchises (New Jersey

1350-437: The broadcasts switched to internet-only, and were handled by first-year play-by-play announcer Paul Roper, who was selected to broadcast the 2009 ECHL All-Star Game . Ontario Reign (ECHL) The Ontario Reign were a professional ice hockey team from Ontario, California that played in the ECHL . Their home arena was the then Citizens Business Bank Arena . They were affiliated with two National Hockey League teams:

1395-604: The club played a game. The franchise started as the Trenton Titans and played their first season in 1999 . The Titans were affiliated with the Philadelphia Flyers (NHL) and the Philadelphia Phantoms (AHL) from 1999–2000 to 2006–07 and with the New York Islanders (NHL) and the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (AHL) from 1999–2000 to 2002–03, and again for the 2005–06 season. Following the 2004–05 ECHL season ,

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1440-435: The deal further. James Henry was relieved of Head Coaching duties on Jan 29th, 2024. After serving as the interim Head Coach following the dismissal of Head Coach James Henry, the Royals missed the playoffs for the first time since the 2018-2019 season. Binkley was hired as Head Coach, shedding the interim title as well adding General Manager to his resume on May 17, 2024. Trenton Titans The Trenton Titans were

1485-507: The eventual Kelly Cup champion Trenton Titans in the North Division Finals. Under coach Karl Taylor from 2005 to 2008, the Royals had generally mediocre performance in regular season performances. In the 2007–08 season, skaters Dany Roussin and Brock Hooton enjoyed some fame in Reading due to their "goal-a-game" nature for much of the season, while tough-guys Steven Later and Malcolm MacMillan were among league leaders in penalty minutes. After

1530-500: The franchise under the Titans name. Blue Line Sports LLC, managed by John and Eileen Martinson, took over the team, restoring the original Titans moniker and affiliating the team once again with the Philadelphia Flyers . On March 28, 2012, the team and its owner Blue Line Sports LLC was sold to Delaware Valley Sports Group LLC, consisting of Jim O'Connor, Jim Cook, Tim Curran and the team's general manager Richard Lisk. Former Titan all-time scoring leader Scott Bertoli, whose number 19

1575-478: The hosts of the 2009 All-Star Game and Skills Challenge. On July 24, 2008, Reading announced that Jason Nobili would be head coach for the 2008–09 season. Unfortunately, Nobili was unable to coax much from the team and was dismissed by Kaye on January 6, 2009, with the team in last place overall in the ECHL. Larry Courville was named as interim coach for the remainder of the season. On April 4, 2009, general manager Gordon Kaye announced that Courville would return for

1620-486: The playoffs for the second straight year. Despite their poor season on the ice, the attendance at 36 home games was an amazing 240,596, an average of 6,683 per game and over 3% higher than the previous season. For the second straight season, the Reign captured the league attendance record despite the poor on-ice performance. Head coach Karl Taylor , who had been with the franchise since its inaugural year in Ontario, signed with

1665-429: The previous season. This was more than enough to capture the league attendance record for the season. In the 2010–11 regular season, the Reign went a dismal 27-39-2-4, including losing their first 15 home games. The season was marred by numerous injuries, illnesses, trades and a few players defecting to European hockey leagues. Despite their hopes for a late-season recovery, they were never a playoff contender and missed

1710-491: The same owners of the Kings and Monarchs, the Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG). The rest of the ownership was by Santander Arena management, SMG . The Royals made their first trip to the Kelly Cup playoffs in 2004 in their third season, winning the North Division playoff championship under head coach Derek Clancey. In the next season, they became the North Division regular season champions, only to lose to

1755-491: The season after being reassigned to Reading at the trade deadline. Chris McCarthy had a career-best 54 assists and 74 points (third in league). On May 9, 2019, the Royals re-signed head coach Kirk McDonald to a two-year contract extension. The Royals and Flyers also renewed their affiliation though at least the 2019–20 season with a 2020–21 renewal option. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic , the Royals voluntarily suspended operations for

1800-515: The season. Muse split the season between Reading and the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL and tied for a league-high .931 save percentage. The Royals took 658 penalty minutes, the fewest in ECHL history. During the 2018–19 season , the Royals' owner Jack Gulati agreed to sell the team back to the Berks County Convention Center Authority (BCCCA), the previous ownership and the owners of Santander Arena, on June 30, 2019. The Royals concluded

1845-446: The two city newspapers, The Trenton Times and The Trentonian . Hunterdon County Democrat writer Mike Ashmore kept an active blog of the team during their time as the Devils. WRRC (107.7 FM The Bronc) carried all Titans games, both over-the-air and through an Internet link, with Daryle Dobos calling the action. The games were broadcast on radio during the first nine years of existence on WHWH , WBCB-AM , and WTSR , In 2008,

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1890-579: Was named assistant coach on November 9, 2011. On August 28, 2012, the Titans announced the addition of Joe Trotta as an assistant coach. Trotta had last served as video coach for the Anaheim Ducks of the NHL . The Titans also announced an affiliation with the Danbury Whalers of the Federal Hockey League on September 10, 2012. This is one of the first times an ECHL team has affiliated with

1935-471: Was removed from MacDonald a few weeks after the Royals were eliminated in the first round of the 2017 playoffs. The Royals' first season under Kirk MacDonald resulted in a third-place finish in the North Division with a 39–24–9–0 record and 87 points. Reading finished two points behind the Adirondack Thunder for first place. The Manchester Monarchs earned 88 points in the regular season and then swept

1980-502: Was the first Royal to appear in the Stanley Cup finals. Veteran Larry Courville and former head coach Derek Clancey have also contributed to the Royals organization. The 2007–08 season would be Karl Taylor's last with the Royals organization. In late June 2008, general manager Gordon Kaye announced that Taylor would leave Reading to serve as coach for the AEG's newly acquired ECHL franchise,

2025-526: Was the only NHL team to wholly own its ECHL affiliate). Trenton had failed to qualify for the playoffs in three of the previous four seasons and had regularly posted league-low attendance numbers. Prior to the suspension of operations, the team lost $ 1.5 million during the 2010–11 ECHL season . The ECHL worked to find a new ownership group for the franchise, with the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers eager to affiliate with franchise and help in cross-promotion. The Flyers, however, were not interested in owning

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