The Reading Royals have announced that forwards Patrick Moynihan and Jeremy Michel have been signed to ECHL contracts for the 2025-26 season.
Moynihan, 24, is entering his second-full professional season following a 66-game rookie campaign, where he registered 36 points (11-25-36), 33 penalty minutes and a -8 rating between the Greenville Swamp Rabbits and the Idaho Steelheads.
A sixth round selection (158th overall) by the New Jersey Devils in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, the Millis, Massachusetts native played one game in the 2023-24 season with the Chicago Wolves in the American Hockey League.
“Really excited to get down to Reading and meet all the guys and fans and experience everything Reading has to offer," stated Moynihan. "Can’t wait for the first game at Santander.”
Royals head coach Anthony Peters believes Moynihan has high offensive ability.
"He will have a great opportunity to play a big role for us this season,” Peters stated. “We are happy to get a player like Patrick.”
Prior to his professional career, the 5-foot-11, 183-pound, right-shot forward accumulated 95 points (47-48-95) across 159 NCAA career games between four seasons at Providence College (2019-23) and a final NCAA season at the University of Notre Dame (2023-24).
During that span, he recorded 24 points (10-14-24) and skated in all 36 games.
Additionally, Moynihan played two seasons with the United States National Team Development Program (2017-19) and, on the international stage with Team USA, captured gold at the U17 World Hockey Challenge in 2017 and U20 World Junior Championship in 2021. He also earned a bronze medal at the U18 World Junior Championship in 2018.
The 24-year-old Michel is entering his first professional season after three seasons with the University of Moncton in U Sports, where he recorded 80 points (32-48-80), 24 penalty minutes and a +21 rating across 87 games.
Selected in the seventh round (217th overall) by the St. Louis Blues in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, the Lévis, Quebec native added 14 points (5-9-14) in 19 U Sports Playoff career games.
"I am really excited to be a part of the team," stated Michel. "We have a big year ahead of us and I can't wait to see the fans on Opening Night.”
Of Michel, Peters noted, "Jeremy has had an exceptional junior and collegiate career, he has produced every where he has been. We will look for him to do the same here for the Royals.”
In the 2024-25 season, Michel was a point-per-game skater with a team-high 29 points (15-14-29) during the regular season with an additional eight points (4-4-8) in seven U Sports Playoff games - also leading the team in points during the post-season.
Prior to his U Sports career, the 6'1", 176-pound, left-shot forward played five seasons in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) with the Val-d'Or Foreurs where he totaled 216 points (83-133-216), 69 penalty minutes and a -81 rating across 294 career games.