ECHL Reading Royals

Reading and Cincinnati Undertake Five Player Swap

March 8, 2009 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA - The Reading Royals of the ECHL, affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League and the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League, today announced that the team has acquired forwards Ben Gordon and Ben McLeod ["mc LOUD"] and defenseman Tom Sawatske ["suh WATT skee"] and future considerations from the Cincinnati Cyclones of the ECHL in exchange for forward Mac Faulkner and defenseman Gerard Miller.

Gordon (5'11/180) (24), a first year pro from International Falls, Minnesota, scored fifteen goals and assisted on twenty-three others (thirty-eight points), while playing to a plus-13 (+13) in fifty-one games for the Cyclones this season. In six games against the Royals this year, Gordon registered six points (3g-3a), which included a two-goal game in yesterday's 5-0 win for the Cyclones over Reading. Gordon played four seasons of college hockey at the University of Minnesota, where he scored thirty-nine goals and assisted on fifty-nine others (ninety-eight points) in 148 games with the Golden Gophers.

McLeod (5'9/185) (26), a second year pro from Edmonton, Alberta, scored eight goals and assisted on nineteen others (twenty-seven points), while playing to a plus-3 (+3) in fifty-five games for the Cyclones this year. In eight games against Reading this season, McLeod registered four assists. McLeod, who racked up sixty-three points (25g-38a) in the German Oberliga last season, played three seasons of Canadian university hockey at the University of Ottawa, where he scored a total of forty-three goals and assisted on fifty-one others (ninety-four points) in seventy-five total games.

Sawatske (5'11/190) (25), a second year pro from Duluth, Minnesota, joined the Cyclones after playing five games at the start of the season with the Phoenix Roadrunners of the ECHL. While with Cincinnati, Sawatske scored three goals and picked up four assists in forty-nine games with the Cyclones. Sawatske's goals included the game winner (and first goal of the game) in yesterday's win for the Cyclones over Reading. Sawatske, who began his pro career with the Dayton Bombers in 2007-08, split his collegiate career between the University of Wisconsin and the University of Notre Dame.

Faulkner, who took over as the Royals' team captain after Matt Herneisen sustained an injury that has kept him out of the line-up since mid-November, scored seventeen goals and picked up twenty assists (thirty-seven points), while playing in all sixty games the team has played to this point in the season. Miller, who was acquired by Reading from the Las Vegas Wranglers in mid-November, scored one-goal and assisted on five others (six points) in twenty games with Reading.

The Royals return to action on Wednesday (March 11 @ 7:05 pm) when the Wheeling Nailers visit the Sovereign Center. Wednesday's game will be broadcast live on the Royals Radio Network Presented by Transmissions by Arbogast (True Oldies WRAW 1340 am in Reading; and The Ticket WLAN 1390 am in Lancaster), as well as on the internet via webcast hosted by Sportsjuice.com, which can be accessed through the Royals website. To become a part of Royals hockey, call 610-898-PUCK or log onto www.royalshockey.com.

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ECHL Stories from March 8, 2009


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