Royals Agree to Terms with Defenseman Dan Ford

Reading, PA – The Reading Royals of the ECHL, affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers of the NHL and the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL, today announced that the team has agreed to terms with defenseman Dan Ford. Consistent with team policy, terms of the SPC were not released.

Ford is the fourteenth player announced as signed by the Royals to an ECHL Standard Players Contract for the 2014-15 season, joining forwards Brandon Blandina, Kyle Bodie, Ryan Cruthers, Brock Higgs, Adam Hughesman, Mike Marcou, Domenic Monardo, Cam Reid, Kevin Walrod and Sean Wiles and defensemen Matt Campanale, Jordan Heywood and Bryant Molle.

Video comments of Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations Larry Courville on the signing of Ford can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHWGCfowc1Y.

Last season, Ford (6’1/201) (23), who hails from Skaneateles, New York, served as team captain for the Harvard Crimson, picking up three assists and twenty-one penalty minutes in thirty-one collegiate games. After the completion of his senior season, Ford joined the South Carolina Stingrays for five ECHL games without registering any points or penalty minutes before returning to school.

Ford matriculated at Harvard after serving as an alternate captain for the Sioux City Musketeers of the United States Hockey League, where he was named the team’s top defenseman. In his freshman with the year with the Crimson, Ford recorded nine points (1g-8a) and twelve penalty minutes in thirty-four games, earning him the team’s George Percy Award as Harvard’s top rookie. Ford’s most prolific season with the Crimson came in his sophomore season when he recorded fifteen points (2g-13a) in thirty-four games, which was good enough for third best amongst defenseman on the team. In 131 college games, Ford scored five goals, assisted on twenty-eight others (thirty-three points) and was assessed with sixty-one penalty minutes.

The Royals open the 2014-15 season on Saturday, October 18, at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling, West Virginia, where the team will face the Wheeling Nailers. The home portion of the schedule will kick off the following Saturday (October 25, 2014 @ 7:05 pm) when the Elmira Jackals travel to Santander Arena. Royals’ season tickets are currently available. Call 610-898-7825 for more information or log onto www.royalshockey.com.