Bird & Berbs Podcast

Bob Rotruck has been with the Phantoms organization since the team played in Glens Falls, NY prior to their move to the Lehigh Valley. He explains why the Royals and Phantoms relationship has been so fruitful and why the Flyers organization values the contributions of both affiliates.

The recently-retired Royals great shares his favorite Reading memories and how he's stayed involved in hockey by opening a brand-new company, Elite Edge.

A member of the Royals since the team's inaugural season, team photographer Brad Drey has captured some of the greatest moments in club history. He's a fixture between the benches at Royals home games and explains how he got the gig, some of the best trash talking he's heard from ice level and how he's mastered his craft.

Garrett Mitchell played 40 games with the Royals in 2019-20, his first extended time in the ECHL after 400 career games in Hershey. Mitchell signed a one-year AHL deal with Rockford in April. He explains how his time with the Royals helped reinvigorate his belief that he can still consistently contribute.

DCU Wall of Honor inductee F Chris Bala (2005-07) is one of the first local players in our team's history to have also made it to the NHL. Bala explains how growing up in Phoenixville charted his path to the NHL and why the Royals played a large role in his career. The Video-Call Version of this podcast is available on YouTube and Facebook.

Now the Head Coach of the Milwaukee Admirals, Karl Taylor reflects on his three seasons in Reading. During his tenure, he coached some of the best talents to ever come through Reading. He tells us about the day G Jonathan Quick was reassigned to the Royals by Los Angeles, the people he still keeps in touch with in Berks County and how Reading shaped his coaching career.

Assistant Coach Nick Luukko reflects on his first season behind the bench. Includes "a day in the life" segment and "Quarantine Super Team."

The former Royals goaltender chats about the brand new Reading Royals Youth Program, which Denike will lead. Plus, his path to the ECHL out of Ontario, how his experience playing in remote Saskatchewan gave him confidence and molded his character.

The Royals' all-time leading point scorer Ryan Cruthers has left an indelible mark in Berks County with his on-ice play and the role he embraces as a mentor for a number of youth players in Pennsylvania. Ryan explains his continued connection to Berks and we relive some of his favorite memories, including how he found out he had been traded to Reading. He is now an assistant coach at his alma mater Robert Morris University.

Pat Richards and David Fine and back with a special mini-pod of the 2008 first-round series recap against Elmira, which featured two of the most-historic OT wins in Royals history.

Defenseman Ray DiLauro signed with the Royals during the team's inaugural season and played the 2002-03 campaign with the team. He holds the distinction of scoring the second-fastest hat trick in ECHL history (3 goals in 40 seconds) which he accomplished in one shift on Mar. 5, 2003 vs. Trenton. The Bensalem, PA native look fondly back on his career with Reading. He still lives in Pennsylvania, where he is raising three children with his wife.

Jason Guarente has covered the Royals for the Reading Eagle newspaper since the 2010-11 season. Over that time, he's gotten to know hundreds of Royals players and experience what's made the team so special for Berks County.

The Captain of the 2013 Kelly Cup Championship team Yannick Tifu explains how he ended up in Reading and some of the warmest memories he has of his four seasons in Reading. Plus, how returning to Reading in his final season changed him as a person.

We introduce our first-ever podcast dedicated to 20 seasons of Royals hockey. Game analyst Pat Richards has seen nearly every home game in Royals history and will be entering his 18th season behind the mic in 2020-21. He and play-by-play man David Fine review the 2019-20 season and relive Richards' memories from the 2013 Kelly Cup Championship season.