Gritty forward DeVito joins Royals in trade

Reading, PA – The Reading Royals, proud ECHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers, announced Monday they acquired forward Jimmy DeVito from the Rapid City Rush for future considerations. The 23-year-old and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute graduate will wear #23 with the Royals.

The rookie accumulated five goals, 15 points, 25 penalty minutes and three fighting majors in 21 games with Rapid City. The native of Bloomingdale, IL has four multi-point games and his last was Dec. 9 at Colorado (2a). His first two professional goals came against the Eagles on Oct. 28.

DeVito captained RPI in 2016-17 and had three goals, six points and 41 penalty minutes in 37 games. In 121 NCAA games, he recorded seven goals, 26 points and 86 PIMs.

Royals Head Coach Kirk MacDonald coached DeVito at RPI in 2013-14 when MacDonald was an assistant with the Engineers. He was named the team’s Freshman of the Year that season.

The 5-foot-10, 185-lb. force established his game in the USHL with the Chicago Steel in Lincoln Stars over 2.5 seasons from 2010-13. In his final junior season with Lincoln (57 GP), he scored six goals, added 20 points and accumulated 113 PIMs. Over 159 USHL games, Devito totaled 16 goals, 51 points, 275 PIMs and 27 fighting majors in 159 games. While with Chicago, he played two games with Royals forward Michael Huntebrinker.

Reading is at Worcester on Wed., Dec. 20 at 7:00 p.m. Celebrate the holidays with the Royals vs. Manchester on Dec. 22-23 at 7:00 p.m. Season ticket holders receive a team license plate on Dec. 23, courtesy of Tower Health.

Hero Night on Sat., Dec. 30The Royals will wear Captain America jerseys and meet your favorite hero on the concourse on Sat., Dec. 30 at 7:00 p.m. Reading battles the Adirondack Thunder, who will wear Ultron Jerseys.

Meet Jerry “The King” Lawler on Wrestling Night Jan. 5Meet wrestling legend Jerry “The King” Lawler at Santander Arena and watch the Royals battle the Brampton Beast on Fri., Jan. 5 at 7:00 p.m.

Santa Sacks Holiday GiftStuff the stocking with Santa Sacks! Get an autographed Royals puck and come out to three of our biggest games for just $30.- Sat., Jan. 20 at 7:00 p.m. vs. Brampton (Slapshot bobblehead giveaway, THON Night, Star Wars jerseys)- Fri., Feb. 17 at 7:00 p.m. vs. Brampton (Pink in the Rink, knit scarf giveaway)- Sat., Mar. 17 at 7:00 p.m. vs. Brampton (Yannick Tifu number retired, Meet WWE Million Dollar Man)- Sat., Mar. 24 at 7:00 p.m. vs. Worcester (Kelly Cup Tribute puck giveaway, Autism Awareness jerseys)- Sat., Apr. 7 at 7:00 p.m. vs. Norfolk (FANdemonium, fan appreciation, fan’s choice giveaway)- Call 610-898-PUCK and tickets are available here.

More $5 TicketsThe Royals host Worcester on Thurs., Dec. 28 at 7:00 p.m. and have $5 Green Zone Tickets. It’s A-PHILLY-ation night with special orange jerseys to celebrate our proud affiliation with the Flyers.- Call 610-898-PUCK (7825) and tickets are available here.

About the RoyalsThe Royals have been owned by serial entrepreneur Jack Gulati since 2014 and are in their 17th ECHL season. Proudly affiliated with the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers and AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms, Reading plays in the Santander Arena, located in downtown Reading, PA at 700 Penn Street. The Royals won the Kelly Cup in 2013, have made the playoffs in eight straight seasons and are four-time division champions.

Reading Royals Mobile AppHead to the App Store and Google Play to download the new Reading Royals app on your smartphone! Stay up-to-date with team news, receive notifications and purchase tickets for your next experience at Santander Arena.

Broadcast CoverageAll Royals game can be heard on Rumba 1340 AM and the iHeartRadio app by searching “Rumba 1340”. The pregame show starts 15 minutes before puck drop. Watch Royals games on ECHL.tv. Reading away games are shown locally on BCTV, channel 15 Comcast, channel 19 Service Electric.