Matthew Knaub: Reading Royals reflect on 2021-22 season, Kelly Cup playoff run

May 23—Reading returned to the ice in October for the first time since March 2020 and kicked off its 20th anniversary season.

Seven months later, the Royals' 2021-22 season came to an end with a loss to Newfoundland in Game 7 of the ECHL North Division finals last week, five playoff wins shy of a berth in the Kelly Cup finals.

"It was a memorable year," Reading coach Kirk MacDonald said after his team's loss in Game 7. "Obviously it didn't end the way you wanted, but there's a lot of good things that happened that you look back on."

The Royals won the North Division with a 0.697 points percentage, the highest in franchise history. Reading registered 99 points, tying the 2012-13 team — which won the Kelly Cup — for the most in franchise history.

The Royals played 71 games, one shy of a full season. After a slow start to the season, Reading was interrupted in mid-December with a slew of postponed games because of COVID-19 and related ECHL health and safety protocols.

"To be a good team in this league, you got to go through some (tough) times during the regular season," MacDonald said. "We certainly did."

While one game was never rescheduled, the majority were moved to March and early April, which created a grueling late-season stretch for the Royals. Reading played eight games in 10 days in late March followed by seven games in 10 days in early April.

"Nobody complained," MacDonald said. "They just showed up and worked."

The Royals navigated the busy stretch with success and finished with the highest points percentage in both the North Division and Eastern Conference, clinching home ice through the third round of the playoffs. Reading finished with the second-highest points percentage in the league, trailing only Toledo, which finished at .708.

The Royals were powered by a strong offense that scored 258 goals — one shy of the franchise's single-season record. Reading was led by forward Trevor Gooch, a midseason acquisition who led the Eastern Conference with 34 goals in just 52 games.

Forwards Thomas Ebbing and Patrick Bajkov were the Royals' iron men, playing in all 71 games. Ebbing finished with 31 goals, which tied for fifth in the league, and Bajkov led the team with 69 points.

"It was a great year," Bajkov said following the loss in Game 7. "It's something I'll remember for a while."

Reading also took advantage of stellar goaltending from Pat Nagle and Logan Flodell, who were two of nine goalies used during the regular season. Nagle was not with the team for several weeks during the winter because he was a member of the United States team at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

Nagle was not the only player with Reading roots to make headlines at a higher level. Four former Royals made their NHL debuts over the course of the season, including three who were members of the 2019-20 squad.

One of the players was forward Hayden Hodgson, who began training camp with Reading in October before he was quickly promoted to Lehigh Valley before the start of the regular season. Hodgson made his NHL debut with Philadelphia on March 24, scoring a goal and recording an assist.

Behind their potent offense and stout goaltending, the Royals made their first postseason appearance since 2018. Reading defeated Maine in the first round 4-2.

The Royals won the series with a victory in Game 6 at Santander Arena, which came just days after their team bus broke down when traveling from Maine to Berks County following Game 5. As a result of the travel issues, the team was forced to spend a night on the floor of a hotel conference room in Worcester, Mass.

"A lot of (stuff) happened this year where they could've folded the tent," MacDonald said. "They never did."

Reading advanced to the second round of the playoffs for the first time since 2016 and took on Newfoundland in the North Division finals. The two teams played seven games in 10 days and made two trips across the United States-Canada border.

"They never even complained once," MacDonald said about the tough schedule. "They just showed up and did their job."

Reading ultimately let its 3-1 series lead slip and was eliminated by the Growlers with a loss in Game 7. Despite falling short of their championship aspirations, the Royals recognized the significance of their efforts and accomplishments.

"This was a pretty special group," forward Brad Morrison said following the loss in Game 7. "It's just so sad that it's over."