Weekly Release, Vol. 17, No. 14:

Home game Wednesday vs. Toledo then road trip

Reading, PA – The Reading Royals have the most home wins (15) of any team in the Eastern Conference and are at Santander Arena Wednesday against Toledo before six straight road contests.

Reading won two straight games before suffering a loss to Brampton on Sunday, 5-2. Mark Bennett had his first Royals goal and multi-point game (1g, 1a) in the last game. Reading is 15-8-0-0 at home.

John Muse leads the ECHL with a .934 save percentage and is 9-1-0-0 over his last ten games. Muse is fourth in the league with a 2.20 goals against average. In his last start, he made a professional-high 47 saves and the Royals blew past Brampton in a shootout, 4-3.

The Royals have three games this week –  vs. Toledo Wednesday, at Wheeling on Friday and at Brampton on Sunday.

Following the six-game road trip, the Royals have one of its largest weekends of the season Feb. 16-18. The games include Hockey ‘N Heels on Feb. 16, Pink In The Rink Night Feb. 17 and Battle of the Badges on Feb. 18.

Upcoming Home Games$5 Green Zone Tickets and postgame player photo and autograph session Wed., Jan. 24 vs. ToledoWed., Jan 24 vs TOL at 7:00 p.m. Postgame photo and autograph session with four players (Rieck’s Printing).

Hockey ‘N Heels and Princess Night on Fri., Feb 16 vs CIN at 7:00 p.m.First 1,500 women will receive a pink knit hat, thanks to Sweet Street Desserts.

Pink in the Rink, Pink Ice, special jerseys on Sat., Feb 17 vs BRM at 7:00 p.m.Pink knit scarf giveaway to the first 1,500 women, courtesy of Sweet Street Desserts. The Royals will wear special jerseys and play on pink ice.

Battle of the Badges, Faith and Family and Jerry “The King” Lawler on Sun., Feb 18 vs. WHL at 4:00 p.m.Before the Royals drop the puck with the Nailers, the Reading Police and Fire Departments match up against the Allentown Police and Fire at 12:30 p.m. in the Battle for the FirstStates Cup XIII at 12:30 p.m. Tickets are available here to help raise money for the children of policemen and firefighters.

Meet WWE Hall-of-Famer Jerry “The King” Lawler on Pro Wrestling Night (Tower Health). Plus, it’s Faith and Family Night and dollar dog day, presented by Safe Berks, Berks Packing and Coca-Cola. First 1,000 kids (14 & under) will receive a Slapshot T-shirt thanks to Bethany Children’s Home. Also check out a postgame skate presented by Body Zone.

Call 610-898-PUCK or visit royalshockey.com/tickets to start your experience at Santander Arena. Group tickets are $11 for groups of ten or more.

Team Leaders (Active players)Goals: Matt Willows/Michael Huntebrinker (13), Nolan Zajac (9)Assists: Matt Willows (24), Nolan Zajac (15), Nick Luukko (13)Points: Matt Willows (37), Nolan Zajac (24), Michael Huntebrinker (21)PIMs: Matt Willows (38), Jimmy DeVito (32), Matias Cleland (29)+/-: Frank Hora (11), Michael Huntebrinker (8), Brian Morgan (5)Practice scheduleMonday – OFF DayTuesday – Practice at 11:00 a.m.Wednesday – game at 7:00 p.m. vs. TOLThursday – TBDFriday – Game at 7:00 p.m. at WHLSaturday – TRAVELSunday – Game at 2:00 p.m. at BRM

This WeekRoyals Radio Recon from Jimmy G’s Railroad House: Tues., Jan. 23 from 6:00 – 7:00 p.m.

• Meet defenseman James de Haas at Jimmy G’s Railroad House from 152 Woodrow Ave. in Sinking Spring. Listen on Rumba 1340 (iHeartRadio app).

Game 43 vs. Toledo: Wed., Jan. 24 at 7:00 p.m.

• Listen on Rumba 1340 (iHeartRadio app). Watch on ECHL.tv.
• $5 Green Zone Tickets and postgame autographs

Game 44 vs. Wheeling: Fri., Jan. 26 at 7:00 p.m.

• Listen on Rumba 1340 (iHeartRadio app). Watch ECHL.tv and BCTV.

Game 45 at Brampton: Sun., Jan. 28 at 2:00 p.m.

• Listen on Rumba 1340 (iHeartRadio app), Watch on ECHL.tv and BCTV.

Big 3 Storylines3) Another big crowd

The second-largest crowd of the season (5,720) attended Star Wars, THON and Scout Night Saturday at Santander Arena and witnessed a 4-3 shootout win over Brampton. The Royals helped raise money for THON, with $5 off every ticket purchased benefitting pediatric cancer research and awareness. Last season, THON raised more than $10 million.

2) Playoff picture forming?The Royals are eight points ahead of the Brampton Beast for the fourth and final playoff spot in the North Division and Reading has 34 games remaining in the regular season. The top-four squads from each division qualify for the Kelly Cup Playoffs.

The Royals and Beast meet Sunday and Reading looks to even up the season series, 3-3. Six points separate first place (Manchester, 52 points) and fourth in the North.

1) Road trip looming Reading leaves for a six-game road trip on Fri., Jan. 26 and does not return home until the early hours of Super Bowl Sunday (Sun., Feb. 4). The Royals have three games in six days, traveling around the area to Wheeling, Brampton and Adirondack. Immediately following the game against the Thunder on Tues., Jan. 30, the Royals venture south to Norfolk, VA for a pair of games against the Admirals.

Next, the team enjoys a day in Reading before another 300-mile bus trip to Worcester.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 at 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 App

Head 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 Coverage

All 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.