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

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

Published on December 29, 2025 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 forward Massimo Rizzo has been reassigned by Philadelphia (NHL) from Reading to Lehigh Valley (AHL). Additionally, 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, a team-high 13 assists and the second-most points among all Royals with 18. A native of Burnaby, British Columbia, the 5'11", 174-pound, left-shot forward was assigned to Reading 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.

A seventh round selection, 216th overall, 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.

Perets, 25, has registered a 6-3-1 record, 3.97 goals-against average and .887 save-percentage in 11 starts with the Royals during the 2025-26 season. This is the Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Quebec native's fourth loan to Reading, after he made his lone start for Lehigh Valley following his first recall by the Phantoms 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.

The 6'1", 181-pound, left-handed catching netminder has posted an ECHL career 36-26-5 record, 2.99 GAA, .901 SV% and five shutouts between Norfolk (2023-24), Bloomington (2024-25) and Reading. In six AHL career games, four of which with the Chicago Wolves in 2024-25, Perets is 2-2-1 with a 3.71 GAA and .857 SV%. Additionally, Perets has appeared in two NHL games with the Carolina Hurricanes 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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