Royals Sign Matt Ustaski, F & Michael Kim, D to SPC's

Reading, PA - The Reading Royals, proud ECHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers and Lehigh Valley Phantoms, announced that forward Mike Ustaski and defenseman Michael Kim have been signed to Standard Player Contracts (SPC).

Ustaski, 30, opened the 2024-25 campaign, his eighth professional season, with the Iowa Heartlanders and Orlando Solar Bears in the ECHL, in addition to a five-game stint in the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) with the Quad City Storm. Between Iowa and Orlando, the Glenview, Illinois native has registered two penalty minutes and a -5 rating in four ECHL games this season.

Across 147 professional career games between the SPHL (93), ECHL (53) and American Hockey League (1), the 6'6", 220-pound, left-shot forward has accumulated 106 points (51g-55a), 83 penalty minutes and a -3 rating. In 53 ECHL career games, Ustaski has totaled 17 points (6g-11a), 17 penalty minutes and a -16 rating between stints in Jacksonville (2017-18, 2018-19), Norfolk (2019-20, 2023-24), Idaho (2019-20), Rapid City (2019-20), Wheeling (2021-22), Atlanta (2023-24), Adirondack (2023-24), Iowa (2024-25) and Orlando (2024-25).

Prior to beginning his professional career with the Jacksonville IceMen in the ECHL in 2017-18, Ustaski played four seasons for the University of Wisconsin in the NCAA (2014-18), as well as two seasons of junior hockey in the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) with the Langley Rivermen (2012-14).

Additionally, Ustaski was selected in the seventh round, 192 overall, in the 2014 NHL entry Draft by the Winnipeg Jets and has an older brother, Nick, who played in the ACHA for the University of Delaware.

Kim, 29, opened the 2024-25 campaign, his seventh professional season, in the ECHL with Orlando where he recorded four penalty minutes and a -2 rating in one game played on December 1st against the South Carolina Stingrays. The Toronto, Ontario native has accumulated 139 points (21g-118a), 117 penalty minutes and a -13 rating across 295 professional career games between the ECHL (244) and AHL (51).

In the ECHL, the 5'11", 201-pound, left-shot defenseman has garnered 127 points (21g-106a), 101 penalty minutes and a +3 rating between stops in Wheeling (2019-20), Jacksonville (2020-21), Maine (2021-22), South Carolina (2022-23, 2023-24) and Orlando (2024-25). Across 51 AHL career games, Kim registered 12 points (12a), 16 penalty minutes and a -16 rating between stints with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (2018-19, 2019-20), Springfield (2021-22) and Hershey (2022-23).

Prior to beginning his professional career with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton in 2018-19, Kim played four seasons for at Boston College in the NCAA (2015-19). Kim was Team Captain at Boston College during the Eagles' 2017-18 campaign when he finished third on the team in assists (15) and fifth in points (20).

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Royals Upcoming:

The Royals return home for a two-game series against the Wheeling Nailers at Santander Arena on Friday, December 13th and Saturday, December 14th at 7:00 PM.

For tickets to the home games, visit: Single Game Tickets

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2024-25 Season Memberships

Royals365 Season Memberships, six-game plans, ten-game plans, and group tickets are available for the 2024-25 season now by visiting the Royals’ box office at Santander Arena or by calling 610-898-7825.

About the Royals

The Reading Royals, proud affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers and Lehigh Valley Phantoms, are in their 23rd season in the ECHL. They won their first Kelly Cup championship in 2013 and have clinched playoff berths in 12 of the previous 14 seasons. They are five-time division champions and were the 2021-22 Eastern Conference champion. The Berks County Convention Center Authority (BCCCA), founded in 1996, owns the Royals and oversees operations at Santander Arena.