Royals Sign Andrew Kurapov & Zach Bannister to SPC's
ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Sign Andrew Kurapov & Zach Bannister to SPC's

Published on January 10, 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 forwards Andrew Kurapov and Zach Bannister have been signed to Standard Player Contracts (SPC).

This is Kurapov's third contract with the Royals, first SPC, after signing an Amateur Tryout (ATO) in the spring of the 2024-25 season (March 19th, 2025) and ahead of the Royals 2025 Training Camp, where he skated and recorded two shots on goal in Reading's lone preseason game against Adirondack on October 10th.

Kurapov, 25, is in his first-full professional season with 14 points (7g-7a) and eight penalty minutes across 27 games with the Knoxville Ice Bears of the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL). The Corvallis, Oregon native made his professional debut with Reading on March 20th of the 2024-25 season for his lone ECHL career game out of Endicott College (NCAA D-III) where he registered 28 points (14g-14a), 10 penalty minutes and a +16 rating in 28 games during the 2024-25 campaign. Kurapov tied for second on the team in goals (14) and points (28), while also registering at least a point-per-game in each of his last three NCAA D-III seasons.

The 5'10", 170-pound, right-shot forward totaled 118 points (51g-67a), 60 penalty minutes and a 60 rating in 113 NCAA D-III career games with the Gulls. Prior to his NCAA D-III career, Kurapov played two seasons in the National Collegiate Development Conference (NCDC) in the United State Premier Hockey League (USPHL) where he logged 64 points (23g-41a) in 85 NCDC career games between Islanders Hockey Club (2018-19) and Twin City Thunder (2019-20).

At Twin City, Kurapov was selected as Team Captain and led the Thunder in assists (39), points (61) and tied for the most games played (50) in his final season at the junior hockey level.

Bannister, 26, is in his second-full professional season with one game played as a member of the Maine Mariners on December 19th. The Grande Prairie, Alberta native has totaled 46 professional career games, all in the ECHL, with six points (4g-2a) and 27 penalty minutes between Norfolk (2GP, 2023-24), Adirondack (20GP, 2024-25), Indy (20GP, 2024-25) and Maine (1GP, 2025-26).

Prior to opening his pro career with Norfolk in 2023-24, the 6'0", 190-pound, right-shot forward concluded his NCAA D-III career at Stevenson University with 27 points (10g-17a) in 28 games, earning Second-Team All Conference for the Mid-Atlantic Conference. Bannister amassed 57 points (22g-35a) in 88 NCAA D-III career games between Stevenson University and his first three years at University of Wisconsin-Superior.

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ECHL Stories from January 10, 2026


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