Royals to Induct Chris McCarthy into Wall of Honor on April 10th
ECHL Reading Royals

Royals to Induct Chris McCarthy into Wall of Honor on April 10th

Published on February 17, 2026 under ECHL (ECHL)
Reading Royals News Release


Reading, PA - The Reading Royals, proud affiliate of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and Philadelphia Flyers, announced that former forward Chris McCarthy, will be inducted into the Royals Wall of Honor during a special pregame ceremony starting at 6:45 p.m., presented by D&B Construction Group, on Friday, Apr. 10 when the Royals host the Wheeling Nailers at Santander Arena for a 7:00 p.m. game.

"It's such an honor to be inducted into the Royals Wall of Honor," commented McCarthy, who currently resides in Downingtown, Pennsylvania with his wife Haley, daughter Bryn and sons Bryce and Tate. "So many amazing players and people before me have paved the way for the next generation of hockey players and now to be a part of that and represent in the same fashion is incredibly humbling"

"We are thrilled to welcome Chris McCarthy into the Royals Wall of Honor," said David Farrar, Team President of the Royals. "Chris was an invaluable talent in his seasons with the Royals and a great ambassador for the game as a local coach and instructor for the next generation of hockey players in our area. We look forward to recognizing Chris on April 10, and for years to come on the Wall of Honor."

McCarthy, 34 (7/30/91), will become the 20th member of the Royals Wall of Honor and ninth forward among this distinguished group of Royals greats, joining fellow forwards Larry Courville (2001-02, 2004-08), Ryan Flinn (2001-02) Jon Francisco (2004-07), Chris Bala (2005-09), Malcolm McMillan (2005-08), Ryan Cruthers (2009-12, 2013-15), Yannick Tifu (2011-14, 2015-16) and Olivier Labelle (2009-12, 2014-15, 2016-17, 2019-20).

Regular Season: A Royal of three-consecutive seasons (2016-19) with an additional three-game stint in the 2025-26 campaign, McCarthy amassed 184 regular season games played (11th most in franchise history), as of Feb. 17th, with the franchise's fourth most (61), assists (120) and points (181).

The 6'1" forward was an above-point-per-game skater in both his first and final-full season in Berks County, recording 47 points (19g-28a) across 42 games in 2016-17, and a single-season career high 74 points (20g-54a) across 72 regular season games in 2018-19. McCarthy's second season with the Royals in 2017-18 featured a single-season career-high 22 goals in 66 regular season games. McCarthy came out of retirement to suit up in three games for the Royals over the January 9th-11th home series against Maine in 2025-26, where he recorded an assist in his first game back.

Postseason: Aiding the Royals to Kelly Cup Playoffs berths in his first two of three seasons, McCarthy collected five points (5a) in a six-game series loss to Brampton in the 2017 Kelly Cup Playoffs and tallied two goals and a postseason team-high six points in the Royals' four-game 2018 Kelly Cup Playoff series against Manchester. He totaled 11 points (2g-9a) in 10 Kelly Cup Playoff career games as a Royal.

Professional Career: Prior to making his Royals debut on October 15, 2016, when he spearheaded a Reading 6-2 victory over Elmira with a goal and two assists, McCarthy spent two seasons under an NHL entry level contract with the New York Rangers where he skated in 67 games for their American Hockey League affiliates, the Hartford Wolfpack. In addition to Hartford, McCarthy suited up for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (2016-18) and Hershey Bears (2018-20) in the AHL. In the ECHL, McCarthy played one season (2014-15) as a member of the Greenville Road Warriors and three seasons in Reading, before concluding his first-stint playing career with the South Carolina Stingrays in 2019-20.

In total, McCarthy logged 258 points (86g-172a) in 363 regular season games across parts of eight seasons at the pro level. He added 11 points (2g-9a) in 10 Kelly Cup Playoff career games, all as a Royal.

Post-Playing Career: Since retiring as a player following the 2019-20 season, with a brief return to the Royals in 2025-26, McCarthy has given back to the game as a hockey skills coach for professional, collegiate and youth level players at Elite Edge in which he is a co-owner and founder. He has also been a volunteer youth hockey skills coach for the Valley Forge Colonials and Minutemen since 2018.

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The Wall of Honor project was undertaken to recognize persons who have made distinct contributions to the success of the Royals' organization. Inductees are honored in a permanent display located on the concourse of Santander Arena. McCarthy will be the 20th inductee into the Wall of Honor, which consists of former General Manager Gordon Kaye, Athletic Trainer Brian Grogesky, Equipment Manager Pat Noecker, broadcasters Mark Thompson and Pat Richards, the 'Ten Year Season Ticket Holders', as well as former teammates of McCarthy, and player greats in franchise history including Ryan Cruthers, Jon Francisco, Cody Rudkowsky, Reagan Rome, Jonathan Quick, Terry Denike, Ryan Flynn, Chris Bala, Yannick Tifu, Malcolm MacMillan, Olivier Labelle, Nick Luukko and Riley Gill.

McCarthy's plaque on the Wall of Honor concourse display will be unveiled on the Royals Wall of Honor in section 122 on April 10th's Wall of Honor Night.

Fans will have the opportunity for a pre-game Meet-and-Greet with McCarthy on Wall of Honor Night from 5:15-6:15 p.m. Stay tuned for more on how to register and attend.

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