Forward Matt Pope Loaned to Reading

Fifth Year Pro Has Played 173 Career AHL Games Including 21 This Year With Hershey

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 forward Matt Pope has been loaned by the Bears to the Royals. The Royals acquired the ECHL rights to Pope today from the South Carolina Stingrays as completion of the future considerations element of the trade that sent forward Chris Langkow to the Stingrays on November 9, 2012. Pope (6’1/193) (28), a fifth year pro from Langley, British Columbia, has recorded four points (1g-3a) and eight penalty minutes in twenty-one games with Hershey this season. Pope, who has played 173 career AHL games with four teams, split last season between the Bears and the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL. In forty-five games with Hershey last year, he recorded eleven points (7g-4a) and twenty-four penalty minutes. He scored seven goals and assisted on twelve others (nineteen points) in eighteen games with the Stingrays. Pope has racked up ninety career points in the ECHL (41g-49a) in seventy-eight regular season games in this league. In 2008-09, Pope earned a selection to the ECHL’s All-Rookie Team when he scored thirty goals and assisted on thirty-three others (sixty-three points) in fifty-four games with the Bakersfield Condors. He also started for the National Conference in the ECHL All-Star Game in Reading in January of 2009 as a representative of Bakersfield. Prior to turning pro, Pope had a standout four-year collegiate career at Bemidji State University, where he notched seventy-one points (33g-38a) in 143 total college games for the Beavers, who twice went to the NCAA tournament during Pope’s tenure with the school. The Royals return to action tomorrow (Friday, January 4 @ 7:05 pm), when the team travels to First Arena in Elmira, New York to take on the Elmira Jackals. As with all Royals road games this season, Friday’s game will be televised locally in Berks County on BCTV courtesy of Boscov’s Travel and Apple Vacations. The Game Night Broadcast kicks off at 6:35 pm on Sports Radio 1240 am and 98.5 fm. Royals multi-game flex plans for the 2012-13 season presented by Steve Moyer Subaru are available at 610-898-7825 and through the Royals website: www.royalshockey.com. Don't forget to "Like" us on Facebook at Reading Royals and "Follow" us on Twitter @RRoyalshockey for the latest team information.