Rizzo Reassigned by Philadelphia from Lehigh Valley to Reading; Golder & Perets Loaned to Reading by Lehigh Valley
ECHL Reading Royals

Rizzo Reassigned by Philadelphia from Lehigh Valley to Reading; Golder & Perets Loaned to Reading by Lehigh Valley

Published on February 23, 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 Massimo Rizzo has been reassigned by Philadelphia (NHL) from Lehigh Valley (AHL) to Reading. Additionally, forward Carson Golder and goaltender Yaniv Perets has been loaned to Reading by Lehigh Valley.

Rizzo, 25, is currently playing in his second professional season where he has registered five goals and 13 assists for 18 points. A native of Burnaby, British Columbia, this is the 5'11", 174-pound, left-shot forward's second reassignment to Reading after he was assigned to the Royals on Oct. 14 following a 46-game rookie campaign with Lehigh Valley where he registered 18 points (6g-12a), 10 penalty minutes and a +1 rating in 2024-25.

Across 72 professional career games, Rizzo has accumulated 36 points (11g-25a) with 18 points (5g-13a) earned in 26 ECHL career games and 18 points (6g-12a) tallied in 46 AHL career games.

A seventh round, 216th overall, selection by Carolina in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, Rizzo was acquired by Philadelphia from Carolina in a trade on August 9, 2023. He is one of two NHL contracted players to appear in a game for Reading this season (Artem Guryev, PHI).

Rizzo is a two-time NCAA champion at the University of Denver, where he was named to the all-NCHC (National Collegiate Hockey Conference) First Team and was a Hobey Baker nominee as a sophomore in 2022-23 when he tied for second in the conference in assists (29) and ranked third in scoring with 46 points (17g-29a). As an alternate captain for the Pioneers in 2023-24, Rizzo finished tied for third in assists (34) and fifth in points (44) in the NCHC.

Prior to his NCAA career, Rizzo registered 123 points (43g-80a) across 132 career games in the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL) between Penticton (2016-19), Coquitla (2019-20) and Chiliwack (2020-21). Additionally, Rizzo skated for Team Canada Black at the 2017 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge where he recored four points (1g-3a) in five games.-

Golder, 23, returns to Reading following his second stint with Lehigh Valley this season where he recorded two shots on goal in two games played after his second recall from Reading on January 28th. With the Royals this season, the Smithers, British Columbia native has registered a team-high 13 goals and 26 points (13g-13a) through 34 games. Golder signed an AHL contract with Lehigh Valley on July 23, 2025 entering his third professional season.

The 6'0", 196-pound, left-shot forward played his first two seasons in the Winnipeg Jets organization, where he logged nine points (2g-7a) in 25 games with the Manitoba Moose (AHL) and 60 points (23g-37a) in 73 games with the Norfolk Admirals (ECHL).

Across 137 professional career games, Golder has logged 95 points (48g-47a) with 86 points (46g-40a) in 107 ECHL career games and 9 points (2g-7a) in 30 AHL career games.

Prior to making his professional debut in the AHL with Manitoba on April, 15, 2023, where he recorded an assist for his first pro point, Golder played junior hockey in the Western Hockey League (WHL) between the Victoria Royals, Edmonton Oil Kings and Kelowna Rockets, amassing 69 points (34g-35a) across 164 games played. In 2022, he aided the Oil Kings to the Ed Chynoweth Cup as Western Hockey League champions with eight points (3g-5a) in 16 WHL playoff games.

Perets, 25, has registered an 8-7-2 record, 3.53 goals-against average and .894 save-percentage in 18 starts with the Royals during the 2025-26 season. This is the Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Quebec native's eighth loan to Reading by Lehigh Valley this season. He made his second of two starts for Phantoms following his fifth recall on Saturday, January 17th, where he stopped 17 of 20 shots faced in a 4-1 loss to the Syracuse Crunch. Perets made 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.

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 79 ECHL career games, the 6'1", 181-pound, left-handed catching netminder has posted a 38-30-6 record, 2.98 GAA, .902 SV% and five 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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