Reading, PA - The Reading Royals, proud ECHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers and Lehigh Valley Phantoms, announced that they have acquired defenseman Artyom Kulakov from the Allen Americans in exchange for Future Considerations.

Kulakov, 22, joins the Royals entering his third-full professional season after totaling 27 points (10g-17a) and 149 penalty minutes in 117 career games between the Worcester Railers (2022-24) and Allen (2024-25) of the ECHL.

"Artyom is a physical defensemen who takes a lot of pride in defending and shutting down the opposition,” stated Anthony Peters, Head Coach & General Manager. "He loves the game and is extremely excited to be a Reading Royal. We will look to him to be very hard to play against and continue to develop his game. We are very happy to have him as a Royal.”

A native of Bolshoy Kamen, Russia, Kulakov joined Worcester at the end of the 2022-23 season following his second year with the Erie Otters of the Ontario Hockey League, where he played for Royals assistant coach Wes Wolfe. In 102 games played for Erie, the 6'2”, 216-pound, left-shot defenseman tallied 16 points (5g-11a) to go with 145 penalty minutes.

Royals 2025-26 roster:

Forwards (8): Cam Cook, Jacob Frasca, Jordan Frasca, Kyle Haskins, Connor McMenamin, Jeremy Michel, Yvan Mongo, Patrick Moynihan

Defensemen (4): Nick Carabin, Artyom Kulakov, Jack Page, Robbie Stucker

Goalie (1): Vinnie Purpura

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Royals Upcoming:

Nov. 8 Home Opener: The Royals play their home opener, presented by Supportive Concepts For Families, at Santander Arena on Saturday, November 8 at 7:00 p.m. against Trois-Rivières. The home opener opens a two-game series with the Lions which concludes on Sunday, November 9 at 3:00 p.m.

Fans can secure their seat today with a Ticket Plan (10/18-Game Plan or Royals365 Membership).

VIEW ALL TICKET PLANS

Royals single-game ticket information will be announced later this summer. For more on the home opener, click HERE.

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2025-26 Season Memberships

Royals365 Season Memberships, six-game plans, ten-game plans, and group tickets are available for the 2025-26 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 entering their 24th season in the ECHL. They won their first Kelly Cup championship in 2013 and have clinched playoff berths in 13 of their last 15 seasons. They are five-time division champions and were the 2021-22 Eastern Conference regular season champion. The Berks County Convention Center Authority (BCCCA), founded in 1996, owns the Royals and oversees operations at Santander Arena.