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ECHL Reading Royals

Royals' Coach Karl Taylor To Lead American Conference All-Stars

January 4, 2006 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA - The Reading Royals of the ECHL, affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League and the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League, today announced that coach Karl Taylor will serve as one of two coaches for the American Conference squad in the 2005-06 ECHL All-Star Game Presented By Bud Light and the corresponding skills competition. The skills competition will be held on Tuesday, January 24, followed by the all-star game the next day. Both events are going to be held at the Save Mart Center in Fresno, California, beginning at 7:00 p.m. each night. Taylor will be joined by Gwinnett Gladiator coach Jeff Pyle in leading the American Conference squad. Taylor and Pyle were chosen by virtue of their respective teams having the highest win percentage in the conference through games of January 3. The Royals currently have the highest win percentage in the conference at .750 with a record of 20-6-2=42.

Taylor is in his first season as head coach and director of hockey operations for the Reading Royals, having been named on August 22, 2005. With this selection Taylor becomes the sixth first year coach since 1996 to be chosen to lead an ECHL all-star squad. The 34-year-old Taylor has served as a guest coach at the Rookie Development Camp for the Los Angeles Kings. The fourth coach in Royals history, Taylor replaced Derek Clancey, who became an assistant coach with Manchester after leading Reading to the Kelly Cup Playoffs in 2003-04 and 2004-05. Taylor helped rebuild the men's ice hockey program at the University of Waterloo, leading the team to the postseason in both seasons he was behind the bench. In his second season at Waterloo, the team was 13-8-3, including an eight-game unbeaten streak, and he was named Ontario University Athletics West Coach of the Year. Taylor also served as the head coach for Red Deer College for three seasons after serving two seasons as an assistant coach at his alma mater, the University of New Brunswick and one season as a volunteer assistant coach for Fredericton in the American Hockey League. Taylor was team captain for three seasons at UNB and in 1995 was presented with the Mark Jeffrey Memorial Award for leadership, dedication and commitment to the team as well as the Alumni Merit Award for academic and athletic excellence. Selected to the UNB Athletics Ring of Distinction, Taylor received his bachelor's degree in physical education in 1995.

The Royals are back in action on Friday night in Johnstown against Chiefs (7:30 pm). The season long seven game road trip for Reading then concludes on Saturday night in Trenton, when the Royals take on the Titans at 7:00 pm. The Royals return home on Tuesday, January 10, against the Wheeling Nailers in a game sponsored by the Pennsylvania Lottery. Royals' game day broadcasts can be heard on ESPN Radio 1240 am in Ephrata and www.royalshockey.com with pre-game beginning 30 minutes before the opening face-off. Streaming video is also available through the Royals' website on a pay per view basis provided by B2 Networks.

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