Royals Sign Forward Chris Langkow

Third Year Pro Won Kelly Cup with Alaska Aces in 2011

Reading, PA – The Reading Royals of the ECHL, affiliate of the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League and the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League, today announced that the team has agreed to terms with forward Chris Langkow . The Royals acquired the ECHL rights to Langkow last season as a future considerations element of the trade that sent forward Ryan Cruthers to the Alaska Aces on March 6, 2012, in return for forward Ethan Cox and futures. A third year pro from Vegreville, Alberta, Langkow (6’1/193) (22) is the sixth player announced as signed by the Royals for the 2012-13 season, joining forwards Trevor Lewis, Ian O’Connor and Yannick Tifu and defensemen Derrick LaPoint and Bryant Molle. Log onto http://youtu.be/hQ2-T54v2hc for video of Head Coach Larry Courville’s comments regarding the signing of Langkow. Last season, although Langkow was under ECHL contract with the Alaska Aces, he started the pre-season on loan to the training camp of the Peoria Rivermen of the AHL. After being released by Peoria, Langkow was immediately loaned to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers of the AHL, where he joined Head Coach Brent Thompson with whom Langkow won an ECHL Kelly Cup Championship with the Alaska Aces in 2011. Seven games into the season, having registered five points for Bridgeport (1g-4a), Langkow sustained an injury that sidelined him until mid-February when he rejoined the Aces in the ECHL. He finished the season with Alaska, recording ten points (3g-7a) in sixteen games. Langkow played ten playoff games for the Aces registering one point (0g-1a) in last season’s post-season action. Langkow kicked off his pro career in 2010-11 as an integral member of Alaska’s Kelly Cup championship season. During the playoff charge that year, Langkow led the Aces with eight goals in the thirteen post-season games it took for the Aces to claim the Cup. Langkow recorded thirty-six points (15g-21a) and thirty penalty minutes in fifty-six regular season games. Langkow, who was selected to represent the Aces in the 2011 ECHL All-Star Classic in Bakersfield, California, hit full stride in February of that year when he recorded sixteen points (6g-10a) and played to a plus-9 (+9) in thirteen games for Alaska, earning the league’s Rookie of the Month award. During that rookie season, Langkow also got a taste of action in the AHL, playing eight games with Peoria (1g-2a). Prior to turning pro, Langkow, who is a cousin of NHL veteran Daymond Langkow, recorded 154 points (53g-101a) and 167 penalty minutes in 263 total games in the Western Hockey League with the Spokane Chiefs, Saskatoon Blades and Everett Silvertips. Season Tickets for the 2012-13 Reading Royals ECHL season are currently available. Call 610-898-7825 for more information or log onto www.royalshockey.com.