Reading Royals Name Justin Stevens Assistant Coach
Published on July 7, 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 Justin Stevens as the team's new Assistant Coach.
Stevens, 34, a Brantford, ON-native and the 26th assistant coach in Reading's 25-season history, joins the coaching staff under Head Coach and General Manager Anthony Peters.
"Justin is a great person and hockey coach," Peters stated. "He is passionate about developing players, he's hard working, and he is a winner. I look forward to working alongside him. We are excited to welcome Justin and his family to Reading."
"I was drawn to this opportunity because of Reading's strong tradition of winning, commitment to player development, and organizational professionalism," Stevens stated. " I'm also incredibly excited for the opportunity to be part of the Philadelphia Flyers organization and contribute to a culture with such a strong commitment to excellence. The chance to work with Anthony Peters was especially appealing. From both a coaching and character standpoint, this is a place where I believe I can contribute and help bring another championship to Reading."
Previously, Stevens was an Assistant Coach and Assistant of Director of Hockey Operations for the Pensacola Ice Flyers of the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) during the 2025-26 season. With Stevens on staff, the team hoisted the fifth most points (65) in the regular season, going 28-21-6-3, and reached the President's Cup Playoffs.
Prior to Pensacola, Stevens served six seasons as an Associate Head Coach between the University of Guelph (2019-23) and the University of Ottawa (2023-25) of U Sports. Under Stevens' direction, the Gryphons earned both a Western Conference and an Ontario University Athletics Queen's Cup title in 2019-20, and the Gee-Gee's won their first ever national championship in 2025.
Additionally, Stevens served two seasons as an Assistant Coach at the University of Guelph before moving into the Associate Head Coach position ahead of the 2019-20 campaign. He was also invited to the Los Angeles Kings coaches summit as a guest coach for the team's annual development camp in 2019.
Prior to his coaching career, Stevens played seven games professionally in the SPHL with the Roanoke Rail Yard Dogs following a five-season collegiate career between Mercyhurst University (2012-14) and Carleton University (2014-17).
- Home Opener:
The Royals player their home opener at Santander Arena on Saturday, October 24 at 7:00 p.m. against Kalamazoo. The home opener opens a two-game series with the Wings which concludes on Sunday, October 25 at 3:00 p.m. The Royals hoist a record of 9-11-1-3 in home openers with their last home opener victory coming against the Norfolk Admirals, 6-4, on October 23 of the 2021-22 season.
Fans can secure their seat for Opening Night today with a Royals ticket plan. The Royals offer plans ranging from as low as 4 games all the way up to our full season Royals365 Membership.
ECHL Stories from July 7, 2026
- Admirals Welcome Matt Argentina for 26-27 Season - Norfolk Admirals
- Logan Nelson Returns to the Rush - Rapid City Rush
- Komets Continue Signings with a Flash - Fort Wayne Komets
- Reading Royals Name Justin Stevens Assistant Coach - Reading Royals
- Thunder Re-Sign Jacob Graves - Adirondack Thunder
- Defenseman Jaden Condotta Returns for a Second Season - Jacksonville Icemen
- Wichita Names Alex Mandolidis Assistant Coach - Wichita Thunder
- Worcester Railers HC Announce Five Signings for 2026-27 Season - Worcester Railers HC
- Forward Luka Burzan Inks Deal with Stingrays for 2026-27 Season - South Carolina Stingrays
The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.
