
Royals Make Qualifying Offers to Maximum Eight Players
July 1, 2004 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release
Reading, PA â The Reading Royals, ECHL affiliate of the NHL's Los Angeles Kings and AHL's Manchester Monarchs, have made qualifying offers to a maximum of eight players for next season. By mandate, each team may offer contracts to eight qualified players for the upcoming season per the collective bargaining agreement. The Royals which have made qualifying offers include: forwards Kent Davyduke, Graig Mischler, Chris Lynch, Judd Medak, and Mike Souza; defensemen Ian Turner, Reagan Rome and Mat Snesrud.
Royals Forwards
In just his second professional season, Davyduke improved on every statistical category from his rookie season. He was the team leader in goals scored (26) and +/- rating with a (+20) rating during the regular season. The Saskatoon, Sasketchewan native finished the regular season second in scoring (53 pts.) and was tied for first in the playoffs with 14 points. Davyduke posted a team-leading 11 assists and +5 rating in the Royals 15 Kelly Cup playoff games.
The Royals leading scorer paced the Royals with a team leading 44 helpers and 57 points. Mischler, in his third season from Northeastern University, also was the Royals leader in power play assists (16), power play points (21), shorthanded points (4), overtime goals (1) and shootout goals (4) and shootout attempts (9). The Holbrook, New York native appeared in 12 post-season games notching five goals and 12 points, which ranked second on the club.
Strong skating centerman Chris Lynch came to Reading on February 3, along with Greenville teammate Eric Lind in exchange for forward Nick Lent and defenseman Jon Zion. The second-year pro scored the bulk of his 53 points in Greenville. In 28 games with Reading, Lynch tallied four goals and 13 points. He appeared in all 15 playoff games with the Royals posting two assists and 16 minutes in penalties. Lynch was a 2003-04 ECHL All Star.
Vancouver, British Columbia native Judd Medak was solid for the Royals all season long. Another second-year pro, Medak tallied 22 goals and 48 points in just 50 regular season games. He also chipped in three goals and 10 points in 15 playoff appearances. The 6-foot, 200-pound forward registered the club's first post-season overtime game-winning goal on April 17 versus the Peoria Rivermen just 24-seconds into the extra session. Medak also led the team with a four-game assist streak and six-game point streak in Kelly Cup playoff action.
Mike Souza was acquired by the Royals on March 10 from the Fresno Falcons to complete a trade that sent defenseman Dominic Periard out West for future considerations. Souza appeared in 17 ECHL games last season with the Florence Pride before being traded. He tallied eight goals and 21 points with the Pride. The majority of his season was spent in the American Hockey League with the Portland Pirates and Bridgeport Sound Tigers.
Royals Defenseman
Ian Turner is a second-year professional hailing from Belleville, Ontario. Turner was one of four Royals this season who were signed from the former Richmond Renegades. Turner tallied seven goals and 29 points and was the only Royal to appear in all 72 regular season games. Turner led all Royals defensemen in +/- in the regular season posting a +5 rating. He helped lead the Royals to their first postseason appearance in three years.
Reagan Rome was acquired by the Royals on January 14 immediately following the ECHL All Star break. Rome began the season with the Cincinnati Cyclones before coming to Reading in exchange for defenseman Jason Maleyko. The gritty 6-foot-2, 200-pound, left-shot d-man did not disappoint posting four goals and eleven points in 36 games with Reading. He racked up 72 penalty minutes as well. Rome appeared in all 15 Royals playoff games chipping in four assists and was tied for the club high in +/- rating (+5).
The Royals lone returnee from the 2002-03 squad was defenseman Mat Snesrud. In 2003-04 Snesrud posted eight goals and 29 points in 66 games in the regular season. 16 of his 29 points came via the power play. Snesurd took advantage of his first post-season playoff appearance in three seasons leading the team in goals scored (6) and game-winning goals (2). Snesrud served as alternate captain for the Royals this season.
Of the eight players which received qualifying offers, no more than four can be of veteran status (288 regular season professional hockey games played as of the start of the upcoming 2004-05 season). Players on open qualifying offers cannot be traded.
The qualifying offer must remain open for acceptance until August 1 at which time the qualifying offer becomes null and void and the team may sign the qualified player to any salary or may elect to take no further action. Teams that extend a valid qualifying offer to a non-veteran player shall retain the rights to that qualified player for one playing season.
A team that extends a valid qualifying offer to a veteran player will retain the rights to that veteran until August 1. After August 1, if the veteran player is not signed to a contract by the team, the veteran shall be deemed a restricted free agent and shall be entitled to seek and secure offers of employment from other ECHL teams. Restricted free agents may not be traded. When a restricted free agent receives a contract offer from a team other than the team with the player's rights and the restricted free agent wishes to accept the contract offer, the restricted free agent and the offering member must, within 24 hours, notify the ECHL, the team with the player's rights and the Professional Hockey Players' Association. The member with the player's rights shall have seven days after the date it is notified to exercise its right to match the contract offer.
If a restricted free agent is not signed to either an offer sheet or a contract by an ECHL team by August 31, the player shall be deemed an unrestricted free agent.
The Reading Royals are entering their fourth season in Reading, Pennsylvania after relocating from Columbus, Ohio. The Royals enjoyed their first Kelly Cup playoff appearance last season, claiming the Northern Division Title and were one win away from qualifying for the Kelly Cup Finals. The Royals and the City of Reading are proud to be hosting the 13th annual ECHL All-Star Game and Skills Competition presented by Coors Light on January 25 and 26 presented by Coors Light.
For ticket information including; season, half-season, voucher packs and group ticket packages visit the Royals website at www.royalshockey.com or call the Royals hockey headquarters at 610-898-PUCK (7825). Royals hockey...BLEED PURPLE!
ECHL Stories from July 1, 2004
- Storm re-sign five and add two - Toledo Walleye
- Gladiators extend qualifying offers - Atlanta Gladiators
- Ice Dogs extend qualifying offers to 5 players - Long Beach Ice Dogs
- Garrow remains in Gulls' nest 2004-2005 - San Diego Gulls
- Rivermen Re-sign Four; Extend Qualifying Offers to Six More - Peoria Rivermen
- Falcons Extend Qualifying Offers to Seven Players - Fresno Falcons
- Eight Players Receive Qualifying Offers - Pensacola Ice Pilots
- Players With Signed ECHL Contracts As Of June 30 - ECHL
- ECHL Releases List of 178 Qualified Players - ECHL
- Steelheads extend qualifying offers to seven players - Idaho Steelheads
- Sea Wolves Qualify Five Players - Mississippi Sea Wolves
- IceGators send out Qualifying Offers - Louisiana IceGators
- Wranglers sign Attard and Wright - Las Vegas Wranglers
- Eight Is Indeed Enough - Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies
- Crane and Pittman return - Trenton Devils
- Aces dispatch eight qualifying offers - Alaska Aces
- Royals Make Qualifying Offers to Maximum Eight Players - Reading Royals
- Qualifying Offers Extended to Barber and Lent - San Diego Gulls
- Titans qualify four players - Trenton Devils
- Grrrowl qualify six and sign two - Greenville Grrrowl
- Thrashers Sign Gladiators Top Scorer - Atlanta Gladiators
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