Royals Sign Mitch Deelstra, F to SPC; Keith Petruzzelli, G Loaned to Reading by Lehigh Valley

Reading, PA - The Reading Royals, proud ECHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers and Lehigh Valley Phantoms, announced that they have signed forward Mitch Deelstra to a Standard Player Contract (SPC).

Additionally, goaltender Keith Petruzzelli has been loaned to Reading by Lehigh Valley.

Deelstra, 25, signs his first professional career contract with Reading out of Robert Morris University (NCAA) where he registered 17 points (12g-5a), 34 penalty minutes and a -15 rating in 35 games during the 2024-25 campaign. The Wallace, Ontario native was named the Colonials' Team Co-Captain on Oct. 8th, 2024, and finished second on the team in goals (12) and penalty minutes (34) while being one of four players to skate in all 35 games.

The 6'1", 201-pound, left-shot forward totaled 56 points (31g-21a), 129 penalty minutes and a -42 rating in 147 NCAA career games between Ferris State University (2020-23), Northern Michigan University (2023-24) and Robert Morris University (2024-25).

Prior to his NCAA career with Ferris State University in 2020-21, Deelstra played two seasons in the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) for the Alberni Valley Bulldogs where he accumulated 81 points (45g-36a) in 113 BCHL career games, and served as the Team's Captain in the 2019-20 campaign.

Petruzzelli, 26, has registered a 8-12-4 record, 3.25 goals against average (GAA) and a .898 save percentage (SV%) in 24 games with Reading this season. On an American Hockey League contract with Lehigh Valley, the Wilbraham, Massachusetts native hoisted a 3-3-0 record, 3.21 GAA and a .887 SV% in six games with Lehigh Valley this season. Petruzzelli stopped 32 of 35 shots faced in his Phantoms debut on January 18th against the Rochester Americans.

In total, the 6'5", 185-pound, left-catching netminder has appeared in 107 professional career games where he's registered a 53-41-9 record, 2.97 GAA, and .900 SV%.

In each of the last three seasons, Petruzzelli played for the AHL affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Toronto Marlies. In the 2023-24 season, Petruzzelli went 6-8-2, 3.55, .867 with Toronto while also playing in seven games for Toronto's then ECHL affiliate, the Newfoundland Growlers, where he hoisted a 4-3-0 record, 3.70 GAA, .881 SV%.

A third-round selection of the Detroit Red Wings in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft, Petruzzelli has played in 48 AHL career games with Toronto (47) and Reading (1) going 22-18-4, 3.16, .894 SV%. Prior to Reading, Petruzzelli played in 30 games with Newfoundland where he was 20-9-1, 2.40, .916. He was selected to the ECHL All-Rookie team and also ECHL Second All-Star Team in 2021-22 when he finished 16-6-1, 2.01, .927 in helping lead the Growlers to the Kelly Cup title.

Prior to beginning his professional career with Newfoundland in the 2021-22 season, Petruzzelli played in the NCAA at Quinnipiac University. Over his four seasons, Petruzzelli finished as ECAC Goaltender of the Year and was both a Hobey Baker Finalist and Mike Richter Award Finalist during his senior campaign in the 2020-21 season. In 94 career collegiate appearances with the Bobcats, Petruzzelli totaled a 49-27-8 record, 2.17 GAA, .915 SV%.

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Royals Upcoming:

The Royals go on the road for two games against Maine on Friday, March 7th at 7:15 PM and Saturday, March 8th at 6:00 PM at Cross Insurance Arena.

The Royals return home for a two-game series against Trois-Rivières Friday, March 14th and Saturday, March 15th at 7:00 PM. The series opens a five-game home stand that continues with three games against Norfolk on Friday, March 21st and Saturday, March 22nd at 7:00 PM before concluding on Sunday March 23rd at 3:00 PM.

For tickets to all home games this season, 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.