Royals Announce 2016-17 Regular Season Schedule

Reading, PA – The Reading Royals of the ECHL, affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League, today announced the team’s 2016-17 Regular Season Schedule. The Royals open the sixteenth year of pro hockey in Reading on home ice for only the fourth time in team history when Reading takes on the Elmira Jackals on Saturday, October 15, 2016. The seventy-two game regular season closes on Saturday, April 8, 2017, against the Norfolk Admirals at the The Scope in Norfolk, Virginia.

The Royals 2016-17 regular season schedule is set out in full below.

Although three of the first four games next year for Reading are on home ice, the team then embarks on an eight game road trip that will take the Royals to five different cities over sixteen days in late October through early November. During that season-long roadie, which kicks off with three straight against the Idaho Steelheads in Boise, Idaho, the Royals will visit the Budweiser Event Center in Loveland, Colorado, to face the Colorado Eagles for the first time in team history, as well as the Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City, South Dakota, for the first matchup ever against the Rapid City Rush. This marks the first time since the 2013 Kelly Cup Championship series against the Stockton Thunder that the Royals have traveled west—and the first time the team has headed west of the Mississippi in the regular season since January of 2009.

Reading will continue the eight game road trip with a visit U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio, where the team will get a look at the long-time rival Cincinnati Cyclones; and finish the roadie with the second of what will be four regular season games next season at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling, West Virginia.

The hallmark of the 2016-17 regular season schedule for the Royals may be variety. Not only does the team face Colorado and Rapid City for the first time ever, the team faces a total of sixteen different opponents next year—four more than 2015-16. Teams coming to Santander Arena for the first time in a while include the Atlanta Gladiators, Cincinnati Cyclones, Fort Wayne Komets, and Indy Fuel.

Reading’s most frequent opponents next year will be the Adirondack Thunder and Norfolk Admirals, who the Royals face eleven times each. Reading also squares off ten times against the Elmira Jackals and Manchester Monarchs. Outside of the East Division, the Royals’ most frequent opponent is Wheeling, who face off against Reading seven times.

Special dates for the Royals next year include the annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday matinee game at 1:00 pm at Santander Arena on Monday, January, 16, 2017. The team will also play a morning matchup (10:00 am) in Manchester, New Hampshire, against the Monarchs on Wednesday, November 16, and the Royals will return to Glens Falls Civic Center for the second consecutive New Year’s Eve matchup against the Adirondack Thunder (5:30 pm).

Reading’s home schedule in 2016-17 features a fan-friendly thirty weekend or holiday dates, including twelve on Saturday night. Please note that game times for the 2016-17 regular season will remain the same for games on Wednesday through Saturday (7:00 pm); but the eight Sunday home games for Reading next year will start at 5:00 pm.

The Royals 2016-17 ECHL Regular Season Schedule is set out below. Please note that all game dates and times are subject to change.

READING ROYALS 2016-17 REGULAR SEASON SCHEDULE

(Game Times are Eastern Time Zone – Unless Otherwise Noted)

Saturday, October 15, 2016 v Elmira Jackals (7:00 pm et)

Thursday, October 20, 2016 @ Wheeling Nailers (7:05 pm et)

Friday, October 21, 2016 v Manchester Monarchs (7:00 pm et)

Sunday, October 23, 2016 v Norfolk Admirals (5:00 pm et)

Wednesday, October 26, 2016 @ Idaho Steelheads (7:10 pm mt) (9:10 pm et)

Friday, October 28, 2016 @ Idaho Steelheads (7:10 pm mt) (9:10 pm et)

Saturday, October 29, 2016 @ Idaho Steelheads (7:10 pm mt) (9:10 pm et)

Wednesday, November 2, 2016 @ Colorado Eagles (7:05 pm mt) (9:10 pm et)

Friday, November 4, 2016 @ Rapid City Rush (7:05 pm mt) (9:05 pm et)

Saturday, November 5, 2016 @ Rapid City Rush (7:05 pm et) (9:05 pm et)

Wednesday, November 9, 2016 @ Cincinnati Cyclones (7:35 pm et)

Friday, November 11, 2016 @ Wheeling Nailers (7:35 pm et)

Saturday, November 12, 2016 v Manchester Monarchs (7:00 pm et)

Sunday, November 13, 2016 v Atlanta Gladiators (5:00 pm et)

Wednesday, November 16, 2016 @ Manchester Monarchs (10:00 am et)

Friday, November 18, 2016 @ Manchester Monarchs (7:00 pm et)

Saturday, November 19, 2016 @ Manchester Monarchs (6:00 pm et)

Friday, November 25, 2016 @ Elmira Jackals (7:05 pm et)

Saturday, November 26, 2016 v Cincinnati Cyclones (7:00 pm et)

Sunday, November 27, 2016 v Cincinnati Cyclones (5:00 pm et)

Wednesday, November 30, 2016 v Wheeling Nailers (7:00 pm et)

Friday, December 2, 2016 @ Norfolk Admirals (7:30 pm et)

Saturday, December 3, 2016 @ Norfolk Admirals (7:15 pm et)

Friday, December 9, 2016 v Indy Fuel (7:00 pm et)

Saturday, December 10, 2016 v Indy Fuel (7:00 pm et)

Thursday, December 15, 2016 @ Greenville Swamp Rabbits (7:00 pm et)

Friday, December 16, 2016 @ Greenville Swamp Rabbits (7:00 pm et)

Tuesday, December 20, 2016 @ Adirondack Thunder (6:00 pm et)

Wednesday, December 21, 2016 v Manchester Monarchs (7:00 pm et)

Friday, December 23, 2016 v Adirondack Thunder (7:00 pm et)

Wednesday, December 28, 2016 v Elmira Jackals (7:00 pm et)

Friday, December 30, 2016 v Wheeling Nailers (7:00 pm et)

Saturday, December 31, 2016 @ Adirondack Thunder (5:30 pm et)

Friday, January 6, 2017 v Adirondack Thunder (7:00 pm et)

Saturday, January 7, 2017 v Adirondack Thunder (7:00 pm et)

Friday, January 13, 2017 @ Elmira Jackals (7:05 pm et)

Saturday, January 14, 2017 @ Elmira Jackals (7:05 pm et)

Monday, January 16, 2017 v Elmira Jackals (1:00 pm et)

Friday, January 20, 2017 v Adirondack Thunder (7:00 pm et)

Saturday, January 21, 2017 v Wheeling Nailers (7:00 pm et)

Friday, January 27, 2017 @ Adirondack Thunder (7:00 pm et)

Wednesday, January 28, 2017 v Fort Wayne Komets (7:00 pm et)

Sunday, January 29, 2017 v Manchester Monarchs (5:00 pm et)

Wednesday, February 1, 2017 @ Toledo Walleye (7:15 pm et)

Friday, February 3, 2017 @ Toledo Walleye (7:15 pm et)

Saturday, February 4, 2017 @ Wheeling Nailers (8:05 pm et)

Thursday, February 9, 2017 v South Carolina Stingrays (7:00 pm et)

Saturday, February 11, 2017 v Norfolk Admirals (7:00 pm et)

Sunday, February 12, 2017 v Norfolk Admirals (7:00 pm et)

Tuesday, February 14, 2017 @ Adirondack Thunder (6:00 pm et)

Friday, February 17, 2017 @ Elmira Jackals (7:05 pm et)

Saturday, February 18, 2017 v Elmira Jackals (7:00 pm et)

Sunday, February 19, 2017 v Elmira Jackals (5:00 pm et)

Wednesday, February 22, 2017 v Greenville Swamp Rabbits (7:00 pm et)

Friday, February 24, 2017 @ Adirondack Thunder (7:00 pm et)

Sunday, February 26, 2017 v Greenville Swamp Rabbits (5:00 pm et)

Friday, March 3, 2017 v Manchester Monarchs (7:00 pm et)

Saturday, March 4, 2017 v Manchester Monarchs (7:00 pm et)

Sunday, March 5, 2017 v Norfolk Admirals (5:00 pm et)

Thursday, March 9, 2017 @ Brampton Beast (7:15 pm et)

Friday, March 10, 2017 @ Brampton Beast (7:15 pm et)

Saturday, March 11, 2017 @ Elmira Jackals (7:05 pm et)

Friday, March 17, 2017 @ Norfolk Admirals (7:30 pm et)

Saturday, March 18, 2017 @ Norfolk Admirals (7:15 pm et)

Wednesday, March 22, 2017 v Manchester Monarchs (7:00 pm et)

Friday, March 24, 2017 v Adirondack Thunder (7:00 pm et)

Saturday, March 25, 2017 v Adirondack Thunder (7:00 pm et)

Friday, March 31, 2017 v Norfolk Admirals (7:00 pm et)

Saturday, April 1, 2017 v Brampton Beast (7:00 pm et)

Sunday, April 2, 2017 @ Wheeling Nailers (5:00 pm et)

Friday, April 7, 2017 @ Norfolk Admirals (7:30 pm et)

Saturday, April 8, 2017 @ Norfolk Admirals (7:15 pm et)

The Royals face the Wheeling Nailers in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Semi-Finals starting on Friday (April 29 @ 7:35 pm) at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling, West Virginia. Game One can be heard live on CBS SportsRadio 1240 AM and 98.5 FM in Reading, starting with the pre-game warm-up show presented by Highmark Blue Shield at 7:00 pm Eastern Time. The game will also be televised locally in Berks County, Pennsylvania, on BCTV courtesy of Boscov’s Travel and Apple Vacations. 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.  For more information about the Royals, call 610-898-7825 or log onto www.royalshockey.com.

Eastern Conference Semifinal Best-of-Seven Series

Friday, April 29 (7:35 pm) – WesBanco Arena (Wheeling, WV)

Monday, May 2 (7:05 pm) – WesBanco Arena (Wheeling, WV)

Wednesday, May 4 (7:00 pm) – Santander Arena (Reading, PA)

Thursday, May 5 (7:00 pm) – Santander Arena (Reading, PA)

Saturday, May 7 (7:00 pm) – Santander Arena (Reading, PA) if necessary

Monday, May 9 (7:05 pm) – WesBanco Arena (Wheeling, WV) if necessary

Wednesday, May 11 (7:05 pm) – WesBanco Arena (Wheeling, WV) if necessary

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