McLaughlin & Perets Recalled by Lehigh Valley; Bannister Signed to SPC
ECHL Reading Royals

McLaughlin & Perets Recalled by Lehigh Valley; Bannister Signed to SPC

Published on April 17, 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 forward Owen McLaughlin and goaltender Yaniv Perets have been recalled by Lehigh Valley (AHL) from their loans to Reading. Additionally, forward Zach Bannister has been signed to a Standard Player Contract (SPC).

McLaughlin, 23, has registered 8 points (3g-5a) in 13 games with the Royals to open his professional career. The Phoenixville, Pennsylvania native signed his first professional career contract with Lehigh Valley for the remainder of the 2025-26 season and for the 2026-27 season on March 18th following a four-year collegiate career between the University of North Dakota (2022-25) and Boston University (2025-26) where he totaled 101 points (25g-76a) in 148 NCAA career games. In his senior and lone season at Boston, the 6'0", 174-pound, left-shot forward registered the team's fourth-most assists (12) and tied for the fifth-most points (17) in 34 games with the Terriers in 2025-26.

Prior to his NCAA career opening with the University of North Dakota, where he was teammates with fellow Lehigh Valley contracted forward and current Royals forward Hunter Johannes in 2023-24, McLaughlin played for the Sioux City Musketeers of the United States Hockey League (USHL) where he amassed 72 points (28g-44a) in 62 games in 2021-22 en route to leading the franchise to a Clark Cup title and earned USHL Third-Team All-Star honors.

A seventh round selection, 206th overall, by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft following a 2020-21 high school campaign where he put logged 54 points (16g-38a) in 33 games with Mount St. Charles Academy in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, McLaughin attended the Flyers 2021-2024 Development Camps at the Flyers Training Center in Voorhees, New Jersey, as well as played for the local Valley Forge Minutemen program through 13U-16U hockey.

Perets, 25, has registered a 14-8-4 record, 2.84 goals-against average, .910 save-percentage and three shutouts in 27 starts with the Royals during the 2025-26 season. A recipient of the ECHL's Goaltender of the Week award twice ove rthe last three weeks for Mar. 23-29 and Apr. 6-12, two of three times receiving the honor in his three-year pro career, this is the Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Quebec native's ninth recall by Lehigh Valley this season.

With Lehigh Valley, Perets has gone 1-2-0 with two starts 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 88 ECHL career games, the 6'1", 181-pound, left-handed catching netminder has posted a 44-31-8 record, 2.82 GAA, .906 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.

Bannister, 26, joins the Royals for the second time in his second-full professional season where he logged nine points (4g-5a) in 29 games for Reading after signing with the Royals on January 10th. The Grande Prairie, Alberta native added one game played as a member of the Maine Mariners on December 19th to total 74 professional career games, all in the ECHL, with 15 points (8g-7a) and 31 penalty minutes between Norfolk (2GP, 2023-24), Adirondack (20GP, 2024-25), Indy (20GP, 2024-25), Maine (1GP, 2025-26) and Reading.

Prior to opening his pro career with Norfolk in 2023-24, the 6'0", 190-pound, right-shot forward concluded his NCAA D-III career at Stevenson University with 27 points (10g-17a) in 28 games, earning Second-Team All Conference for the Mid-Atlantic Conference. Bannister amassed 57 points (22g-35a) in 88 NCAA D-III career games between Stevenson University and his first three years at University of Wisconsin-Superior.

For all home games this season, fans can enjoy parking as low as $5 (see garage locations & rates).

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