(Reading, PA – July 7, 2026) – The Reading Royals, proud ECHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers and Lehigh Valley Phantoms, announced Justin Stevens as the team’s new Assistant Coach.

Stevens, 34, a Brantford, ON-native and the 26th assistant coach in Reading’s 25-season history, joins the coaching staff under Head Coach and General Manager Anthony Peters.

"Justin is a great person and hockey coach," Peters stated. "He is passionate about developing players, he's hard working, and he is a winner. I look forward to working alongside him. We are excited to welcome Justin and his family to Reading."

"I was drawn to this opportunity because of Reading’s strong tradition of winning, commitment to player development, and organizational professionalism," Stevens stated. " I’m also incredibly excited for the opportunity to be part of the Philadelphia Flyers organization and contribute to a culture with such a strong commitment to excellence. The chance to work with Anthony Peters was especially appealing. From both a coaching and character standpoint, this is a place where I believe I can contribute and help bring another championship to Reading."

Previously, Stevens was an Assistant Coach and Assistant of Director of Hockey Operations for the Pensacola Ice Flyers of the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) during the 2025-26 season. With Stevens on staff, the team hoisted the fifth most points (65) in the regular season, going 28-21-6-3, and reached the President's Cup Playoffs.

Prior to Pensacola, Stevens served six seasons as an Associate Head Coach between the University of Guelph (2019-23) and the University of Ottawa (2023-25) of U Sports. Under Stevens' direction, the Gryphons earned both a Western Conference and an Ontario University Athletics Queen's Cup title in 2019-20, and the Gee-Gee's won their first ever national championship in 2025.

Additionally, Stevens served two seasons as an Assistant Coach at the University of Guelph before moving into the Associate Head Coach position ahead of the 2019-20 campaign. He was also invited to the Los Angeles Kings coaches summit as a guest coach for the team's annual development camp in 2019.

Prior to his coaching career, Stevens played seven games professionally in the SPHL with the Roanoke Rail Yard Dogs following a five-season collegiate career between Mercyhurst University (2012-14) and Carleton University (2014-17).

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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.