Reading, PA - The Reading Royals, proud ECHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers and Lehigh Valley Phantoms, announced that forward Chris McCarthy has been signed to a Standard Player Contract (SPC).

McCarthy, 34, suited up as a Royal for three-consecutive seasons (2016-19) with 181 regular season games played (11^th most among forwards in franchise history) McCarthy holds the club’s fourth-highest all-time record in goals (61), assists (119) and points (180).

The 6’1” forward was an above-point-per-game skater in both his first and final seasons in Berks County, recording 47 points (19g-28a) across 42 games in 2016-17, and a single-season career high 74 points (20g-54a) across 72 regular season games in 2018-19. For his efforts, McCarthy was selected to the ECHL's Second All-Star Team in 2018-19. McCarthy’s second season with the Royals in 2017-18 featured a single-season career-high 22 goals in 66 regular season games.

Aiding the Royals to Kelly Cup Playoffs berths in his first two of three seasons, McCarthy collected five points (5a) in a six-game series loss to Brampton in the 2017 Kelly Cup Playoffs and tallied two goals and a postseason team-high six points in the Royals’ four-game 2018 Kelly Cup Playoff series against Manchester. He totaled 11 points (2g-9a) in 10 Kelly Cup Playoff career games as a Royal.

Prior to making his Royals debut on October 15, 2016, when he spearheaded a Reading 6-2 victory over Elmira with a goal and two assists, McCarthy spent two seasons under an NHL entry level contract with the New York Rangers where he skated in 67 games for New York's American Hockey League affiliate, the Hartford Wolfpack. In addition to Hartford, McCarthy skated for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (2016-18) and Hershey Bears (2018-20) in the AHL. In the ECHL, McCarthy played one season (2014-15) as a member of the Greenville Road Warriors and three seasons in Reading, before concluding his playing career with the South Carolina Stingrays in 2019-20.

In total, McCarthy logged 257 points (86g-171a) in 360 regular season games across parts of seven seasons at the pro level. He added 11 points (2g-9a) in 10 Kelly Cup Playoff career games in the ECHL, all as a Royal, to go along with nine Calder Cup Playoff career games in the AHL, where he recorded two goals with Hershey in 2018-19.

Since retiring as a player following the 2019-20 season, McCarthy has given back to the game as a hockey skills coach for professional, collegiate and youth level players at Elite Edge in which he is a co-owner and founder. He has also been a volunteer youth hockey skills coach for the Valley Forge Colonials and Minutemen since 2018.

For all home games this season, fans can enjoy parking as low as $5 (see garage locations & rates).

For tickets to all regular season home games, visit: Single Game Tickets

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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 in their 24th season in the ECHL. They won their first Kelly Cup championship in 2013 and have clinched playoff berths in 13 of their latest 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.