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Reading Royals

Royals Agree to Terms with Defenseman Jordan Heywood

June 30, 2015 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA - The Reading Royals of the ECHL, affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers of the NHL, today announced that the team has agreed to terms with defenseman Jordan Heywood. Heywood is the first player announced as signed by the Royals to an ECHL Standard Players Contract for the 2015-16 season.

Video content related to Heywood's performance last season with the Royals can be accessed at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpmhx1EruHI

Last season, Heywood (6'0/196) (26), who hails from Regina, Saskatchewan, led all first year pros on the Royals with twenty-three points (9g-14a) and also picked up thirty-one penalty minutes in fifty-two games with the team. Heywood's nine goals tied him for the team lead amongst defensemen. He first found his scoring touch in Reading's 4-3 win over the Elmira Jackals on December 27, 2014, when he racked up a pair of goals, including the first of the game-also his first as a pro-and the game winner. That was one of six multi-point performances for Heywood, who received the team's Sportsmanship Award at the conclusion of the regular season.

Heywood actually may have saved his best for last, as he rang off a four-game point streak (2g-3a=5pts) in the final four games of Reading's East Division Semi-Final playoff series against the South Carolina Stingrays. In fact, at the time of the Royals' final playoff game, Heywood led all rookie defensemen in the ECHL with seven points (4g-3a=7pts) in the seven games played in that first round series. Heywood scored his four playoff goals on just thirteen shots, which translated into a team best 30.8% scoring percentage in the post-season. In Game Three of the East Division Semis, Heywood bagged a pair of goals, including the game's first and the game winner. That was one of two multi-point games for him in the series with the other coming in Game Four when he registered a goal-which proved to be his second game winner of the series-and picked up an assist. In Game Seven, Heywood scored the game's first goal on a highlight reel move splitting a pair of defenders with a 360 degree spin and back-hand finish.

Prior to turning pro, Heywood registered nine assists and thirty-three penalty minutes in thirty-three games in his senior year (2013-14) at Merrimack College. After concluding his collegiate career that season, he joined the Bakersfield Condors of the ECHL where he recorded three assists and two penalty minutes in five games. Heywood kicked off his career at Merrimack in 2010-11 by leading all defensemen and first year players in Hockey East in plus-minus, playing to a plus-24 in thirty-nine games for the Warriors, who ended up qualifying for the NCAA tournament. During his sophomore season, Heywood was second on the team with fifteen assists, and his nineteen points (4g-15a) placed him second in scoring amongst defensemen on the team. His most prolific season as a Warrior came in his junior year, when he recorded twenty-one points (8g-13a) in thirty-eight games, which was good enough to earn him a selection to the All-Hockey East Second Team and the All-New England Second Team.

A three-time captain for the Warriors, Heywood received the Tim Burke 'Warrior' Award for perseverance, toughness, and dedication at the conclusion of his collegiate career, during which he established a school record for total games played (147). In his time with at Merrimack, Heywood recorded a total of sixty-five points (14g-51a) and 160 penalty minutes.

Season Tickets for the 2015-16 Reading Royals ECHL season are currently available. Call 610-898-7825 for more information or log onto www.royalshockey.com.

6 Jordan Heywood Regina, SK DEFENSEMAN

HT: 6'0" WT: 196 DOB: 03-06-89 (26) SHOOTS: R

Career Notes:

v Selected, Team Captain, Victoria Grizzlies, BCHL (2009-10)

v Selected to Represent Team at BCHL All-Star Game, Victoria Grizzlies (January, 2010)

v Led Team, Scoring by a Defenseman (14g-37a=51pts), Victoria Grizzlies, BCHL (2009-10)

v Selected, Team Most Valuable Player, Victoria Grizzlies, BCHL (2009-10)

v Received, Team Citizenship Award, Victoria Grizzlies, BCHL (2009-10)

v Led Conference, Plus-Minus for a Defenseman and for a Rookie (+24), Hockey East, Merrimack College (2010-11)

v Member, NCAA Tournament Team, Merrimack College (2010-11)

v Selected, Alternate Captain, Merrimack College (2011-12)

v Second on Team, Assists (15), Scoring by a Defenseman (4g-15a=19pts), Plus-Minus for a Defenseman (+11), Merrimack College (2011-12)

v Selected, Team Captain, Merrimack College (2012-13)

v Selected, Hockey East Player of the Week, Merrimack College (November 5, 2012)

v Second on Team, Scoring (8g-13a=21pts), Merrimack College (2012-13)

v Selected, All-Hockey East Second Team and All-New England Second Team, Merrimack College (2012-13)

v Named, Hockey Humanitarian Award Nominee, Merrimack College (2012-13)

v Selected, Team Captain, Merrimack College (2013-14)

v Led Team, Shots by a Defenseman (75), Merrimack College (2013-14)

v Selected, Finalist for Senior CLASS Award and Hockey Humanitarian Award, Merrimack College (2013-14)

v Received, Tim Burke 'Warrior' Award for Perseverance, Toughness and Dedication, Merrimack College (2013-14)

v Established School Record, All-Time Career Games Played (147), Merrimack College (2010-14)

v Led Team, Scoring by a Rookie (9g-14a=23pts in 52 games), Reading Royals, ECHL (2014-15)

v Tied for Team Lead, Goals by a Defenseman (9g), Reading Royals, ECHL (2014-15)

v Selected, Sportsmanship Award, Fan's Choice Awards, Reading Royals, ECHL (2014-15)

v Second on Team, Playoff Scoring (4g-3a=7pts in 7 games), Reading Royals, ECHL (2015)

Royals Transactions:

v Signed to ECHL Contract by Reading Royals, 07/24/14

v Signed to ECHL Contract by Reading Royals, 06/30/15

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