Reading Royals
| Reading Royals | |
|---|---|
 2016–17 ECHL season
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| City | Reading, Pennsylvania |
| League | ECHL |
| Conference | Eastern |
| Division | North |
| Founded | 1991 |
| Home arena | Santander Arena |
| Colors | Purple, black, silver, white |
| Owner(s) | Jack D. Gulati |
| Head coach | Larry Courville |
| Captain | Maxim Lamarche |
| Media |
Reading Eagle WRAW |
| Affiliates |
Philadelphia Flyers (NHL) Lehigh Valley Phantoms (AHL) |
| Franchise history | |
| 1991–1999 | Columbus Chill |
| 2001–present | Reading Royals |
| Championships | |
| Division Championships | 4 (2004–05, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2013–14) |
| Conference Championships | 1 (2012–13) |
| Kelly Cups | 1 (2012–13) |
The Reading Royals are a professional ice hockey team that currently plays in the ECHL. The team participates in the North Division of the ECHL's Eastern Conference. The Royals play their home games at the Santander Arena located in downtown Reading, Pennsylvania. The Royals colors are purple, black, silver, and white. Since 2001, the Royals have ranked among ECHL leaders in regular season attendance. On March 25, 2006 against the Trenton Titans, the Royals reached their one millionth fan in attendance. Reading Royals hosted two ECHL All-Star Games; one in 2005 and one in 2009.
The Royals are the 2013 ECHL Kelly Cup Champions. They earned the title with a five-game victory over the in the 2013 Kelly Cup Final.
The Reading Royals were founded in 1991 as the Columbus Chill. David Paitson was team's first President/General Manager and former NHL player Terry Ruskowski, the head coach, started the team with a goal of introducing new audiences to the sport of ice hockey and building a strong fan base. The two were successful with the help of an extensive marketing plan. The Chill's 83-game sellout streak beginning in early January 1992 still stands as a minor league hockey record today. It would take the team two seasons to reach the playoffs, doing so in 1994 under coach Ruskowski. The Chill would go on to win two conference championships and make the playoffs for five of the eight seasons.
The Chill were a key part of the growth of hockey in Columbus, Ohio and paved the way for the NHL expansion Columbus Blue Jackets. The 1998–99 season would be the franchise's final season as the Columbus Chill as the team suspended operations for both the 1999–2000 season and the 2000–01 season. The Chill relocated during their inactive two year status to their present location in downtown Reading, Pennsylvania for the 2000–01 season to make room for the Blue Jackets.
In 2001, the franchise returned to active status in the ECHL, renamed to the Reading Royals and became the ECHL affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings of the NHL and the Manchester Monarchs of the AHL.
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