Reading, PA - The Reading Royals, proud ECHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers and Lehigh Valley Phantoms, and Head Coach & General Manager Anthony Peters announced that defenseman Miles Gendron has been named Team Captain for the 2026-27 season, officially returning as Team Capatin for a second-straight season after being given the distinction for the remainder of the 2025-26 season on March 9th, 2026.

Forwards Jordan Frasca and Connor McMenamin, as well as defensemen Zach Berzolla and Wyatt McLeod have been named Assistant Captains.

Captain: Miles Gendron

Gendron, 30, becomes the first Royal to wear the "C" for consecutive seasons since Royals Wall of Honor member and #10 jersey retired number forward Yannick Tifu held the distinction for three consecutive seasons (2011-12 - 2013-14).

The Shrewsbury, Massachusetts native enters his eight professional season with 74 points (24g-50a) across 242 ECHL career games, between Brampton (2018-19, 2019-20), Newfoundland (2019-20), Utah (2020-21, 2021-22), Greenville (2022-23, 2024-25) and Reading (2019-20, 2025-26, 2026-27). In 296 professional career games between the American Hockey League (AHL), ECHL, Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) and Norway, the third round, 70th overall, selection by the Ottawa Senators at the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. has totaled 86 points (29g-57a).

Prior to opening his pro career with Brampton in 2018-19, Gendron played four seasons in the NCAA for the University of Connecticut where he was a Captain his senior season (2018-19) and totaled 33 points (10g-23a) in 126 NCAA career games.

Assistant Captains: Jordan Frasca, Connor McMenamin, Zach Berzolla, Wyatt McLeod

Frasca, 25, enters his fifth professional season, first with an "A" on his jersey, following an injury-shortened five-game campaign with Reading where he registered six points (3g-3a). The Caledon, Ontario native has logged 57 points (22g-35a) across 88 ECHL career games between the Wheeling Nailers (2022-24), Atlanta Gladiators (2024-25) and Reading (2025-26). Frasca recorded one point (1a) in eight Kelly Cup Playoff career games with Wheeling in 2024 and also played in 11 American Hockey League (AHL) career games with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (2022-24), bringing his professional totals to 57 points (22g-35a) in 99 pro games played between the AHL and ECHL.

McMenamin, 27, enters his third-full professional season, first with an "A" on his jersey, as the longest tenured Royal on the club's active roster with 104 professional career games, logging 46 points (21g-25a), all as a Royal. The Collegeville, Pennsylvania native also skated in all five of Reading 2025 Kelly Cup Playoff games, adding an assist. Prior to going pro, the 5'11", 185-pound, left-shot forward played five seasons in the NCAA with four seasons spent at Penn State University and a fifth-year graduate season at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. Across his five-year NCAA career, McMenamin totaled 87 points (30g-57a), 57 penalty minutes and a +10 rating across 164 career games. Additionally, McMenamin was an alternate captain for Penn State in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 campaigns.

Berzolla, 28, enters his sixth-full professional, first with an "A' on his jersey, following his second career Kelly Cup championship season with the Florida Everblades where he registered 22 points (2g-20a) and a +15 rating in 43 regular season games. The Howell, New Jersey native skated in all 20 games during the Everblades 2026 Kelly Cup title run, adding six points (2g-4a) to his 16 points (4g-12a) accrued 66 ECHL playoff career games between Florida (2021, 2024, 2026), Jacksonville (2022) and Cincinnati (2023). Berzolla has reached the Kelly Cup Playoffs in five of his six professional seasons and won his first of two Kelly Cup titles with Florida alongside current Royals Head Coach and General Manager Anthony Peters, who was an assistant coach for the Everblades in 2023-24 and 2024-25. Over 282 professional career games between the American Hockey League (AHL) and ECHL, the 6'2", 201-pound, right-shot blue-liner has amassed 114 points (24g-90a) with three points (3g) in the AHL over stops in Hartford (2021-22, 2023-24), Rochester (2022-23) and Springfield (2025-26), plus 111 points (21g-90a) tallied in the ECHL. 

McLeod, 26, enters his third-full professional season, first with an "A" on his jersey, as a 2025 Kelly Cup Champion as a member of the Trois-Rivières Lions with 40 points (6g-34a) and a +19 rating aross 122 ECHL career games between Utah (2020-21), Trois-Rivières (2024-2026) and Reading (2026-27). In 24 Kelly Cup Playoff career games between both Utah and Trois-Rivières, McLeod hoists nine points (1g-8a). During Trois-Rivières' title run in 2025, McLeod played in all 21 games while leading all players in +/- during the postseason (+21) and finishing second among defensemen on the team in points (9). The 6'3", 203-pound, left-shot blue liner concluded the 2025-26 season in the Slovak Extraliga, the top tier league in Slovakia, with HK Poprad where he recorded one point (1a) in six games.

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What's Upcoming:

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

RRYHA 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 in 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.