Royals Sign Defenseman Brad Walch

First Year Pro Was Defenseman of Year for Saginaw Spirit of OHL Last Season

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 defenseman Brad Walch. A first year pro from Saginaw, Michigan, Walch (6’1/211) (21) is the tenth player (and fourth defenseman) announced as signed by the Royals for the 2012-13 season, joining forwards Ethan Cox, Tyler Gron, Chris Langkow, Trevor Lewis, Ian O’Connor, and Yannick Tifu, and defensemen Derrick LaPoint, Bryant Molle and Denny Urban. Log onto­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ http://youtu.be/LM_WH5uMYRI for video of Head Coach Larry Courville’s comments regarding the signing of Walch. Last season, Walch led defensemen on the Saginaw Spirit of the Ontario Hockey League with twenty-three points (5g-18a) and a plus-21 (+21) ratio in sixty-eight regular season games. Walch, who was selected as the team’s best defenseman, added ten points (1g-9a) in twelve post-season games for the Spirit. Walch then got a taste of pro, playing two playoff games for the Missouri Mavericks of the Central Hockey League. The only player from the Saginaw area to play for the OHL’s Spirit in the team’s history, Walch established a franchise record in his four seasons with Saginaw by playing a total of 303 regular season and playoff games. 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.