Reading, PA - The Reading Royals, proud ECHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers and Lehigh Valley Phantoms, announced that forward Ben Raymond has been signed to an ECHL contract with the club for the 2025-26 season.

Raymond, 24, is entering his first full professional season after registering a point (1a) in four games with the Iowa Heartlanders in the spring of the 2024-25 campaign. A native of Newton, Massachusetts, Raymond signed an ATO (Amateur Tryout) with Iowa on March 29th, 2025 after concluding his fourth and final season in the NCAA at Colgate University, registering a career-best nine goals and 18 points, along with 21 penalty minutes in 36 games. Across 130 NCAA career games, Raymond accumulated 43 points (20g-23a) and 43 penalty minutes.

"Super excited to have signed my first pro contract in Reading," stated Raymond. "Really excited to play in front of all of the fans and see them at Santander Arena on November 8th."

"Ben is hard working player who can really skate,” stated Anthony Peters, Head Coach & General Manager. "He takes pride in outworking the opponent and we will need that from him every night. I look forward to Ben coming into camp and seeing how he can help our group.”

Prior to Colgate, the 5'11", 179-pound, left-shot forward played one season in the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) for the Powell River Kings where he logged 15 points (5g-10a) in 19 games.

Royals 2025-26 roster:

Forwards (11): Cam Cook, Liam Devlin, Jacob Frasca, Jordan Frasca, Kyle Haskins, Connor McMenamin, Jeremy Michel, Yvan Mongo, Patrick Moynihan, Ben Raymond, Jordan Simoneau

Defensemen (7): Matt Araujo, Nick Carabin, Victor Hadfield, Artyom Kulakov, Jack Page, Vincent Sévigny, 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.