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ECHL Reading Royals

Royals Sign Defenseman Tim Branham

February 12, 2010 - ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA - The Reading Royals of the ECHL, affiliate of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League and the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League, today announced that the team has signed defenseman Tim Branham to an ECHL contract. Also, in other separate transactions, (i) goaltender Andrew Engelage and forward Rob Slaney have been assigned by the Marlies to Reading; (ii) defenseman Scott Fletcher has been recalled to the Providence Bruins; and (iii) goaltender Shane Davis has been released by the Royals.

Branham (6'2/195) (28), a sixth year of pro hockey from Eagle River, Wisconsin, began the season with the Rapid City Rush of the Central Hockey League, where he picked up twelve penalty minutes in eleven games. In late December, Branham joined the Johnstown Chiefs for three games, registering an assist 1:34 into his first game with the Chiefs-a 2-1 win over the Trenton Devils on December 30, 2009. Last year, Branham, a third round pick of the Vancouver Canucks in the 2000 NHL Entry Draft, began the season with the Augusta Lynx of the ECHL where he scored a goal, picked up an assist (two points) and registered twenty-seven penalty minutes in thirteen games. After the Lynx ceased operations, Branham joined the Royals, and in forty-four games with Reading, he scored a goal, assisted on twenty-five others (twenty-six points) and picked up thirty-five penalty minutes, while earning a mid-March call-up to the Worcester Sharks of the AHL. For his efforts in Reading, Branham was won the Fan's Choice Award as the Defensive Player of the Year.

This marks the third trip to Reading for Engelage, a first year pro from Oshawa, Ontario. He was originally assigned to the Royals during the team's training camp, but was recalled prior to the start of the season. Engelage was again assigned to Reading on November 4, 2009 and was with the team until his recall to Toronto on November 28. In five games with the Royals this year, Engelage has compiled a 4-1-0-0 record with a 3.32 goals against average and a.901 save percentage. In nine games with the Marlies this year, Engelage has a record of 2-5-0-0 with a 4.17 gaa and.863 save percentage. For Slaney, this is his second trip to Reading. He began the season with the Marlies and was assigned to the Royals on November 25, 2009, playing four games prior to being recalled to Toronto on November 30. In four games with the Royals, Slaney, who will wear #28 during this assignment in Reading, registered one assist and picked up two penalty minutes. In thirty-four games with the Marlies this year, Slaney has picked up six assists and fifteen penalty minutes. Fletcher was assigned to the Royals for the second time this season on January 22, 2010. He has played a total of 23 games for Reading, scoring two goals, assisting on two others, and picking up sixty-seven penalty minutes, while playing to a plus-7 (+7). Fletcher has registered twenty-two penalty minutes in eight games with Providence this year. Davis, who twice served as an Emergency Back-Up Goaltender for the Royals, was signed to an ECHL contract by Reading on January 8, 2010, and he had served as the back-up goaltender for thirteen consecutive games since that time.

The Royals hit the ice again tonight (Friday, February 12, 2010 @ 7:00 pm) when the team travels to the Sun National Bank Center in Trenton, New Jersey to take on the Trenton Devils. The Royals game night broadcast on the Royals Radio Network presented by Transmissions by Arbogast will kick off with the pre-game warm-up show at 6:30 pm.

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