New coach, playoff berth. The Royals navigated inconsistency to extend their winning culture, a testament to grit and depth.
The 2025–2026 season marked a transitional yet competitive chapter for the Reading Royals. Under first-year head coach and GM Anthony Peters, the Royals leaned into structure, adaptability, and depth scoring, earning their way back into the postseason and reinforcing the franchise’s consistent winning culture.
Regular Season: Grinding Out a Playoff Spot
Reading finished the season with a 36–26–8–2 record (82 points), securing a playoff berth in a tightly contested North Division.
It wasn’t always smooth. The Royals hovered around the middle of the standings for much of the year, often battling inconsistency on both ends of the ice. Their 199 goals scored vs. 205 allowed reflected a team that lived on the edge competitive nightly but rarely dominant.
What ultimately defined their regular season:
- Resilience in tight games rather than blowout performances
- A reliance on depth contributions over star-driven offense
- Periodic struggles with defensive structure and goal prevention
Still, Reading did what they’ve done so often as a franchise, find a way in. Their playoff qualification extended a remarkable trend, reaching the postseason in 13 of the last 15 seasons, a testament to organizational consistency.
Photo Credit: Reading RoyalsIdentity Under Peters
The first full season under Peters brought a noticeable shift:
- A more disciplined, system-oriented approach
- Emphasis on responsible two-way play
- Trust in younger players and role consistency
The Royals weren’t flashy—but they were structured. That identity kept them competitive even when scoring dried up.
Key Contributors
While the roster lacked a runaway superstar season, contributions were spread across the lineup:
- Balanced scoring defined the forward group
- Players like Liam Devlin, Austin Saint, and Nick Deakin-Poot contributed in key moments, especially late in the year and into the playoffs
- Depth players consistently filled roles, reflecting a “next-man-up” mentality
On the back end and in goal, Reading’s performance was serviceable but inconsistent, often the difference between wins and missed opportunities for extra points.
Kelly Cup Playoffs: A Short-Lived Push
Photo Credit: Reading RoyalsThe Royals entered the Kelly Cup Playoffs matched up against the Wheeling Nailers in the opening round.
Despite optimism and a competitive roster, the series exposed the same issues that lingered all season:
- Difficulty generating sustained offense
- Trouble closing out tight, low-scoring games
- Limited margin for error against structured opponents
Playoff production was modest, with only a handful of players registering points across the series.
Ultimately, Reading’s postseason run was brief, ending in the first round, a result that felt reflective rather than surprising.
Turning Points
Several factors shaped the season’s trajectory:
- Midseason inconsistency that prevented a higher seed
- Goal differential struggles, highlighting defensive lapses
- An inability to separate from the playoff bubble pack
Yet, the team’s ability to stay afloat and qualify speaks to its resilience.
The Bigger Picture
The 2025–2026 campaign wasn’t about dominance, it was about stability and re-establishment.
For a team coming off organizational changes and entering a new coaching era, the Royals:
- Reaffirmed their playoff-caliber baseline
- Built a structured identity under Peters
- Laid groundwork for future growth rather than chasing short-term peaks
Final Assessment
The Reading Royals 2025–2026 season can be summed up in one word: steady.
They weren’t contenders but they weren’t far off either.
With improved defensive consistency and a bit more offensive punch, this is a team that could transition from playoff participant to legitimate threat in short order.