Carson Bjarnason Reassigned by Philadelphia to Reading; Yaniv Perets Recalled by Lehigh Valley
ECHL Reading Royals

Carson Bjarnason Reassigned by Philadelphia to Reading; Yaniv Perets Recalled by Lehigh Valley

Published on April 1, 2026 under ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA - The Reading Royals, proud ECHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers and Lehigh Valley Phantoms, announced that goaltender Carson Bjarnason has been reassigned by Philadelphia (NHL) from Lehigh Valley (AHL) to Reading. Additionally, goaltender Yaniv Perets has been recalled by Lehigh Valley from his loan to Reading.

Bjarnason, 20, is currently in his first professional season where he has appeared in 30 games for Lehigh Valley, registering a 13-11-7 record, 3.45 goals-against-average and .877 save-percentage. A native of Carberry, Manitoba, the 6'4", 207-pound, left-catching netminder signed a three-year, entry-level contract with Philadelphia on September 26, 2023, and received his first NHL call-up by the Flyers on February 17th while Flyers' goaltender Dan Vladar was attending the 2026 Olympics for Team Czechia.

A second round, 51st overall, selection by Philadelphia in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft, Bjarnason attended the Flyers 2024 & 2025 Rookie Camps, Development Camps, Training Camps and Flyers vs Rangers Rookie Series at PPL Center. In the 2025 Rookie Series, Bjarnason started in both games stopping 21/24 in Saturday's 4-3 overtime win before splitting Sunday's game two, stopping 14/17 in a 5-2 final gone to New York. As a 19-year-old in the 2024 Rookie Series, Bjarnason stopped 52 of 55 for a .945 SV%.

Before his pro career, Bjarnason played four seasons in the Western Hockey League (WHL) for the Brandon Wheat Kings, going 75-61-13 with a 3.14 GAA and .903 SV% across 156 games.

At the international level, Bjarnason made Team Canada's roster for the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup (won gold), 2024 World Juniors and 2025 World Juniors tournament with fellow Flyers' draft selections Oliver Bonk and Jett Luchanko.

He is one of four NHL contracted players to appear in a game for Reading this season (Artem Guryev-PHI, Massimo Rizzo-PHI, Connor Kurth-TB) and the first Flyers' contracted goaltender on Reading's roster since Kirill Ustimenko (2019-20, 2021-22). Should he appear in Reading's April 2nd game at Worcester, Bjarnason would be the youngest player to play in a game for the Royals at 20 years, nine months and three days since Matteo Mann made his pro debut with Reading on April 12, 2024 at 19 years, three months and 12 days.

Perets, 25, has registered a 13-8-3 record, 2.92 goals-against average, .906 save-percentage and three shutouts in 25 starts with the Royals during the 2025-26 season. The reigning ECHL Goaltender of the Week for the second-time in his three-year pro career, this is the Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Quebec native's eighth recall by Lehigh Valley this season. which has included two starts for Phantoms including his Phantoms debut following his first recall on Thursday, October 30th, stopping 26 of 29 shots faced in a Lehigh Valley 4-3 overtime win at Hartford on Saturday, November 1st and his second start after his 5th recall on Saturday, January 17th, where he stopped 17 of 20 shots faced in a 4-1 loss to the Syracuse Crunch.

Prior to his first recall, Perets opened his third professional season with Reading, going 1-0-1 in two starts with a 6.28 goals-against average and .814 save-percentage.

Across 86 ECHL career games, the 6'1", 181-pound, left-handed catching netminder has posted a 43-31-7 record, 2.85 GAA, .905 SV% and eight shutouts between Norfolk (2023-24), Bloomington (2024-25) and Reading. In seven AHL career games, four of which with the Chicago Wolves in 2024-25, Perets is 2-4-1 with a 3.64 GAA and .857 SV%. Additionally, Perets has appeared in two NHL games with the Carolina Hurricanes, both in relief, stopping seven of eight NHL career shots faced.

Prior to his pro career, Perets was an NCAA Champion with Quinnipiac University in 2023. The two-time ECAC Goaltender of the Year broke the NCAA D-1 Record for goals-against average as a freshman (1.17 GAA).

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