Hockey Staff

Jason Binkley - Head Coach

Binkley, 31, is the ninth coach in the twenty-three year team history of the Royals. The Powell, Ohio native joined the Royals as an assistant under James Henry in July of 2022. 39 games into the 2023-24 season, on January 29, Binkley was named Interim Head Coach following the leave of Henry as Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations. During Binkley’s tenure as the team’s Interim Head Coach, the Royals compiled a record of 13-16-3-1 in 33 regular season games (.455 point-percentage). 

Before coaching, Binkley played NCAA Division-I hockey at Ferris State University. In his freshman season, Binkley competed in the 2012 Frozen Four championship game as a defenseman for the Bulldogs. Binkley scored 68 points (6 G, 62 A) across his collegiate career. He won the Ferris State President's award for the top Bulldog student athlete his Sophomore year and was selected to the NCAA All-Academic team his Senior year.

Lukas Samuelsson is the Royals Assistant Coach and Video Coach for all 72 regular season games and playoff games. Samuelsson is from Voorhees, New Jersey, and played four years at Western Michigan University (NCAA DI) while graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sports Management and a Minor in General Business. Samuelsson is also an assistant director of the Reading Royals Youth Hockey Association where he assists with organizing and orchestrating youth hockey lessons, clinics the Learn to Play program, Summer Camp and in-house leagues.

Jason MacDonald - Equipment Manager

Prior to working for the Royals, MacDonald served as Assistant Equipment Manager for the NHL’s Florida Panthers from 2009-14. The Detroit, MI native has worked in the ECHL for seven seasons and spent time with the ECHL’s Florida Everblades (2006-09) before receiving his call-up to the Panthers. He has worked as an equipment manager since 2000-01, when he started as an assistant for the USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program. In 2001-02, MacDonald was an assistant equipment manager for the AHL’s Chicago Wolves and the team won the Calder Cup. Jason won Equipment Manager of the Year for the Royals in the 2018-2019 season.

Sean Berberich - Athletic Trainer 

Sean Berberich, who graduated from Longwood University (Farmville, Virginia) in 2013, served as the athletic trainer for the Evansville Icemen of the ECHL. While working towards his undergraduate degree, Berberich served several stints as a member of the athletic training staffs of the Washington Capitals of the NHL and the Charlotte Checkers of the American Hockey League. He also worked with a number of the NCAA athletic teams at Longwood, where he received the school’s Citizen Leader Athletic Training student award for his performance. Prior to taking over in Evansville, Berberich spent two years at Presbyterian College in Clinton, South Carolina, where he worked with a number of the school’s athletic programs including football, baseball, and soccer.