F Drew Melanson stays in North Division, signs with Royals

Former Maine forward scored 12 goals as a rookie  

Reading, PA – Forward Drew Melanson has agreed to an ECHL contract with the Reading Royals for the 2019-20 season, Head Coach Kirk MacDonald announced Wednesday. The 24-year-old tallied 12 goals and 29 points in 50 games for Maine as a rookie last season and earned 10 AHL games with Hartford (1g). A former RPI and Boston University winger, Melanson is the second former Mariners player to join Reading (Garrett Cecere) this offseason.2019-20 Royals rosterDefensemen (5): #6 Garrett Cecere, #19 Garret Cockerill, #27 Jeremy Beaudry, #75 Joe Masonius, #77 Jimmy MazzaForwards (10): #7 Trevor Gooch, #9 Brayden Low, #13 Olivier Labelle, #15 Trevor Yates, #17 Brendan Robbins, #18 Judd Peterson, #21 Frank DiChiara, #23 Drew Melanson, #28 Brady Wiffen, #81 Corey MackinThey said itMelanson: “The Royals’ style of play is very fast and good for a skilled forward. I think it’s a great opportunity to try to jump back into the AHL and have a good experience in the ECHL.”MacDonald: “We saw Drew play a lot last season and know his elite skating ability will be a great fit in our system. He is someone who can play a lot of different roles for us, and we expect his production to increase with a year of experience at the ECHL level under his belt.”Career notesThe left-handed shot stands 5-foot-11 and weighs 168 pounds. With Maine, he posted two multi-goal games and five multi-point games. Melanson played seven contests against Reading last season (3a).Melanson won the Hockey East Championship and played all 40 games in his graduate transfer season at Boston University (2017-18), registering six goals and 19 points. The Terriers made it to the regional finals. At RPI, Melanson had his best offensive season (9g, 11a) as a freshman and was named to the 2014-15 ECAC All-Rookie Team. Melanson made it to the 2014 Clark Cup Finals while playing with Waterloo in the USHL.He won three state titles at Delbarton School, the same prep institution former Royals forward and 2007 Stanley Cup Champion George Parros attended. Melanson is a native of Paramus, NJ.New for the 2019-20 season, take advantage of the Royals 5-Game Mini Plan that kicks off Opening Night on Sat., Oct. 19 at 7:00 p.m. and includes a meal for every game, a Reading Royals Hat, an exclusive fan experience, an autographed team picture and a guaranteed giveaway for each of the 5 games. Purchase your seat or seats today by calling 610-898-7825 or by visiting https://bit.ly/2LSHBp8.The first Royals’ home game on Oct. 19 vs. Maine features a massive block party, games, food, drinks and a special “Downtown Alive” concert on Penn Street before the home opener.Royals season memberships are available for 2019-20 by heading to royalshockey.com/restoretheroar, visiting the Royals Box Office at Santander Arena (700 Penn Street) and calling 610-898-7825.For the latest team news, visit royalshockey.com/news, and follow the team on Facebook (Facebook.com/ReadingRoyals), Twitter (Twitter.com/ReadingRoyals) and Instagram (Instagram.com/ReadingRoyals). Use #RestoreTheRoar to join the conversation.About the RoyalsThe Royals are entering their 19th ECHL season and are proudly affiliated with the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers and AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms. The Royals won the Kelly Cup in 2013, have made the playoffs 14 times, and are four-time division champions. The Berks County Convention Center Authority (BCCCA), founded in 1996, owns the Royals along with the Santander Arena and the Santander Arena Performing Arts Center.Listen to all Royals broadcasts at Mixlr.com/ReadingRoyals or by downloading the Mixlr App from the App Store or Google Play. All Royals away games are broadcast on BCTV (Ch. 15 Comcast, Ch. 19 Service Electric) and Mixlr.