Reading, PA - The Reading Royals, proud ECHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers and Lehigh Valley Phantoms, announced that forward Connor Kurth has been reassigned by Tampa Bay (NHL) from Orlando (ECHL) to Reading. Additionally, Philadelphia contracted forward Massimo Rizzo has been dealt to Boston (NHL) as part of a two-for-two player trade including forward Alexis Gendron in exchange for defenseman Jackson Edward and forward Brett Harrison. Edward and Harrison will join the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (AHL).

Kurth, 22, has registered 14 points (9g-5a) in 53 games with Orlando to open his first-full professional season following a 5-game stint with the Syracuse Crunch (AHL) where he recorded an assist for one point in the spring of the 2024-25 campaign. The Elk River, Minnesota native signed an Entry Level Contract (ELC) with Tampa Bay and an Amateur Tryout (ATO) with Syracuse on March 30th, 2025.

A sixth round, 192nd overall, selection by Tampa Bay in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, Kurth has totaled 15 points (9g-6a) in 58 professional career games between Syracuse and Orlando. Across three seasons at University of Minnesota, Kurth amassed 71 points (32g-39a) in 115 NCAA career games.

In his final season with the Golden Gophers (2024-25), Kurth finished second on the team in goals (18) behind only 23rd overall selection in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft by St. Louis, Jimmy Snuggerud, and led the team with four game-winning goals, as well as a +31 rating. In 2022-23 as a freshman, Kurth helped Minnesota advance to the 2023 Frozen Four where they fell to current Royals goaltender Yaniv Perets and Quinnipiac University in the 2023 NCAA National Championship.

Prior to the NCAA, the 6'0", 212-pound, right-shot forward played two seasons in the United States Hockey League (USHL) at Dubuque where he logged 122 points (50g-72) across 114 USHL career games.

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Rizzo, 25, registered 22 points (6g-16a) in 29 games with Reading to open his second professional season following a 46-game rookie campaign with Lehigh Valley where he registered 18 points (6g-12a), 10 penalty minutes and a +1 rating in 2024-25. 

A seventh round, 216th overall, selection by Carolina in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, Rizzo was acquired by Philadelphia from Carolina in a trade on August 9, 2023. He is one of two NHL contracted players to appear in a game for Reading this season (Artem Guryev, PHI).

Rizzo is a two-time NCAA champion at the University of Denver, where he was named to the all-NCHC (National Collegiate Hockey Conference) First Team and was a Hobey Baker nominee as a sophomore in 2022-23 when he tied for second in the conference in assists (29) and ranked third in scoring with 46 points (17g-29a). As an alternate captain for the Pioneers in 2023-24, Rizzo finished tied for third in assists (34) and fifth in points (44) in the NCHC. 

Prior to his NCAA career, Rizzo registered 123 points (43g-80a) across 132 career games in the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) between Penticton (2016-19), Coquitla (2019-20) and Chiliwack (2020-21). Additionally, Rizzo skated for Team Canada Black at the 2017 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge where he recored four points (1g-3a) in five games.

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.