Reading, PA - The Reading Royals, proud ECHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers and Lehigh Valley Phantoms, announced that defenseman Carter Schade has re-signed with the club for the 2026-27 season.

Schade, 23, is entering his first full professional season after recording a goal for one point in three regular season games with Reading in April of the 2025-26 campaign.

"I’m incredibly excited to sign with the Reading Royals and begin my professional career," stated Schade. "The Flyers organization has a strong reputation for developing players, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue my growth in Reading. I’m looking forward to meeting the fans, representing the city, and doing everything I can to help our team win this season.” 

"Carter is a great player and person,” stated Anthony Peters, Head Coach & General Manager. "He came in last year for a brief stint at the end of the season and impressed me. He is committed, he plays a very sound game and he plays it the right way. I am excited to see him develop this season.”

The Mars, Pennsylvania native signed a Standard Player Contract (SPC) with the Royals on April 12, 2026 to make his professional debut the same day against Wheeling after a four-year collegiate career at Penn State University where he logged 22 points (22a) across 126 NCAA career games.

The 5'11", 185-pound, left-shot blue-liner recorded four assists over 34 games for the Nittany Lions during the 2025-26 season that concluded in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament. 

Prior to his NCAA career, Schade played three seasons in the United States Hockey League (USHL) for the Lincoln Stars where he totaled 50 points (8g-42a) over 112 USHL career games after being selected first overall in the 2018 USHL Phase 1 Futures Draft.

Royals 2026-27 roster:

Defensemen (1): Carter Schade

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Home Opener:

The Royals player their home opener at Santander Arena on Saturday, October 24 at 7:00 p.m. against Kalamazoo. The home opener opens a two-game series with the Wings which concludes on Sunday, October 25 at 3:00 p.m. The Royals hoist a record of 9-11-1-3 in home openers with their last home opener victory coming against the Norfolk Admirals, 6-4, on October 23 of the 2021-22 season.

Fans can secure their seat for Opening Night today with a Royals ticket plan. The Royals offer plans ranging from as low as 4 games all the way up to our full season 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.

What's Upcoming:

CALLING ALL FUTURE ROYALS! Registrations are now OPEN for the RRYHA In-House Leagues, presented by Visions Federal Credit Union! Open to all 4-16 year olds, learn more about each league and register your skater 👉 https://bit.ly/YTHLeagues

𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣 𝙏𝙤 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙮, presented by Visions Federal Credit Union! Be the first to skate the new introduced Lions Cubs LTP Program (ages 4-9) or attend the Intermediate Skills Clinic (ages 10-16) (REGISTER)

𝙎𝙠𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙨 𝘾𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙨 (REGISTER: bit.ly/4pSVJhc)

Support the Reading Royals official charitable arm, 𝙎𝙡𝙖𝙥𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙩 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨, which believes that Every Child Deserves to Play. Learn more about Slapshot Charities: bit.ly/4j1qaQa

See upcoming Learn to Skate sessions at the Body Zone Sports & Wellness Complex (LEARN MORE: https://bodyzonesports.com/learn-to-skate/)

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Follow the Royals on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and subscribe to the 𝘙𝘰𝘺𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘒𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘥𝘰𝘮 email list to know when promotions and deals at all homes games this season goes live!

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2026-27 Season Memberships

Royals365 Season Memberships, select game plans, and group tickets are available for the 2026-27 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 25th season in the ECHL. They won their first Kelly Cup championship in 2013 and have clinched playoff berths in 14 of their last 16 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.