Royals' Season Ends to Nailers in Double Overtime Game Five in North Division Semifinal Kelly Cup Playoffs Series, 1-0
ECHL Reading Royals

Royals' Season Ends to Nailers in Double Overtime Game Five in North Division Semifinal Kelly Cup Playoffs Series, 1-0

Published on May 2, 2026 under ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA - The Reading Royals (1-4-0-0), proud ECHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers and Lehigh Valley Phantoms, fell to the Wheeling Nailers (4-0-1-0), 1-0, in double overtime of Game Five of the North Division Semifinal 2026 Kelly Cup Playoffs at Santander Arena on Saturday, May 2. The loss marked the end to the Royals 18th run in the Kelly Cup Playoffs and 24th season, concluded with Wheeling taking the series four games to one.

Goaltender Yaniv Perets (1-2-1-0) suffered the loss in goal with a career-high 54 saves on 55 shots faced while Nailers' netminder Taylor Gauthier (4-0-1-0) earned the overtime win in goal, his third shutout of the series, with 28 saves on 31 shots faced.

Perets and Gauthier combined for 67 saves in regulation with an added 20 combined saves in the first overtime. Wheeling, for the fifth time in the five-game series, scored the first goal, which served as the double overtime game-winning goal at 7:53 from Nolan Renwick (2). Renwick's sharp angle shot from the corner squeaked through the five-hole of Perets on the Nailers' 55th shot of the game.

The double-overtime marked the 12th time in team history the Royals went to multiple overtime sessions, falling to 4-8 in the extended postseason extra sessions.

Kelly Cup Playoff Schedule

North Division Semifinals: #1 Wheeling (46-20-3-3, 98 points) vs. #4 Reading Royals (36-26-8-2, 82 points)

GAME 1 - 4-0 Wheeling (WHL 1-0)

GAME 2 - 5-1 Wheeling (WHL 2-0)

GAME 3 - 2-0 Wheeling (WHL 3-0)

GAME 4 - 3-2 OT Reading (WHL 3-1)

GAME 5 - 1-0 2OT Wheeling (WHL 4-1)

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