Royals Sign Defenseman Derik Johnson

Reading, PA – The Reading Royals of the ECHL, affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers of the NHL, today announced that the team has agreed to terms with defenseman Derik Johnson. The Royals have announced nine players as signed to ECHL Standard Players Contracts for the 2015-16 season. In addition to Johnson, Reading has announced the signing of forwards Justin Crandall, Cam Reid, Mike Pereira, Joe Rehkamp and Ian Watters and defensemen Jordan Heywood, Curtis Leonard and Sam Windle.

Video content on Johnson can be viewed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-zojE8ueaI.

Last season, Johnson (6’0/201) (25), who hails from Bloomington, Minnesota, registered five points (1g-4a) and a team-leading sixty-three penalty minutes in forty-games for the University of Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs, who earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament and advanced to the Northeast Regional Finals before being eliminated by Boston University. After the completion of his senior season at UM-D, Johnson joined the Missouri Mavericks of the ECHL where he played five games and registered six penalty minutes. Johnson, who led UM-D in penalty minutes twice during his college career, registered seventeen points (2g-15a) and 211 penalty minutes in 108 career games with the Bulldogs. Johnson’s father, Jim, who had a thirteen year NHL career (during which he racked up a total of 1197 penalty minutes), is currently an assistant coach with the Edmonton Oilers of the NHL.

The Fifteenth Season of Royals’ hockey kicks off with back-to-back games against the South Carolina Stingrays at North Charleston Coliseum on Saturday (October 17) and Sunday (October 18). Reading then opens the home portion of the team’s schedule on Saturday, October 24, (7:00 pm) when the Elmira Jackals visit Santander Arena. Season Tickets for the 2015-16 Reading Royals ECHL season are currently available. Call 610-898-7825 for more information or log onto www.royalshockey.com.