Royals Undertake Several Mid-Week Transactions

Reading, PA – The Reading Royals of the ECHL, affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League, today announced that goaltender Connor Knapp was recalled earlier today to the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL. In separate transactions also undertaken today, the Royals signed goaltenders P.J. Musico and Alex Vazzano to ECHL Standard Players Contracts. In another transaction completed today, the Royals signed defenseman Curtis Leonard to an ECHL SPC and traded him for future considerations to the Fort Wayne Komets of the ECHL.

This was the first recall of the season for Knapp, a fourth year pro from Rochester, New York. In seven games with the Royals this year, Knapp, who has won his last four consecutive decisions with Reading, has compiled a record of 4-2-0-0 with a 2.45 goals against average and a .907 save percentage with one shutout. Knapp is expected to return to Reading on Thursday.

Musico (6’1/198) (25), a first year pro from Orange, California, has played one game this season, making 25 saves for the Greenville Swamp Rabbits in a 5-3 win over the South Carolina Stingrays on October 23, 2015. Prior to turning pro, Musico played three years at Penn State University. In his final season with the Nittany Lions, he compiled a record of 6-5-1 with a 3.05 goals against average and a .893 save percentage, while earning the Derek Hines Unsung Hero Award and an Honorable Mention selection on the All Big-10 team. In 30 total collegiate games, Musico went 10-15-1 with a 3.31 goals against average and .893 save percentage with one shutout.

Vazzano (6’2/192) (25), a first year pro from Trumbull, Connecticut, was most recently signed by the Danbury Titans of the Federal Hockey League. He started the season with the Evansville Icemen of the ECHL where he played six games (0-5-0-0, 4.30, .877). Prior to turning pro, Vazzano split his collegiate career between the University of Vermont and Sacred Heart University, where he played his junior and senior seasons and was a three-time Atlantic Hockey Association Goaltender of the Week. In 65 total collegiate games, he compiled a record of 17-35-3 with a 3.12 goals against average, .903 save percentage and three shutouts.

Leonard began the season with the Royals and recorded one assist in three games with the team this year. He was released from his ECHL SPC by Reading on November 11.

The Royals return to action on Friday (November 20 @ 7:00 pm) when the Elmira Jackals visit Santander Arena in Reading, PA. That night, the Royals will celebrate ‘Hunger Games’ Night and will host a post-game ham shoot courtesy of Redner’s Market. The game night broadcast for Friday’s matchup can be heard live on CBS SportsRadio 1240 am and 98.5 in Reading, Pennsylvania, starting with the pre-game warm-up show presented by Highmark Blue Shield at 4:30 pm Eastern Time. Streaming audio is available free of charge on the Royals’ website (follow the ‘headset’ icon); and streaming video is available on a pay-per-view basis through ECHL.TV. Season Tickets for the 2015-16 Reading Royals ECHL season are currently available. For more information about the Royals, call 610-898-7825 or log onto www.royalshockey.com.