August 14, 2007

Reading, PA – The Reading Royals of the ECHL, affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League and the Manchester Monarchs of the American Hockey League, today announced that the team has signed defenseman Shawn Germain [“jer MANE”]. Last season, Germain (6’1”/195 lbs) scored a goal, assisted on ten others (eleven points), and picked up seventy-three penalty minutes in sixty-seven games with the Royals. Germain, who will turn twenty-five years of age on October 5, was selected as the Royals’ Defensive Player of the Year last season and was also the co-recipient (along with Joe Zappala) of the team’s Community Service Award presented by the United Way of Berks County. Germain, who led the ECHL in plus/minus during the month of December—playing to a plus twelve in thirteen games for the Royals, earned a call-up to the Hershey Bears of the AHL on December 30, where he played to a plus two in the Bears’ 7-4 win over the Norfolk Admirals.

Germain, who hails from Saint Paul, Alberta—known to some as the ‘Friendliest Place in the Universe’ thanks at least in part to hosting the world’s first U.F.O. landing pad—played two seasons of junior hockey for the Chilliwack Chiefs in the British Columbia Junior Hockey League prior to going to Grant MacEwan College in Edmonton. After a season in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference, Germain made the jump to the University of Waterloo in 2004-05, where he was part of a resurgent (and playoff bound) Warrior team led by then-Coach Karl Taylor. At the conclusion of his season at Waterloo, Germain was nominated for the Sportsmanlike Player of the Year Award in the West Section of the Ontario University Athletics conference. In 2005-06, Germain made another successful jump—this time to pro hockey, as he scored two goals and picked up nine assists and fifty-nine penalty minutes in fifty-five games for the Oklahoma City Blazers of the Central Hockey League.

After re-joining Coach Taylor last fall in Reading, Germain’s season started with a bang, as he engaged in his first of three fights on the year—this one with Trenton’s Pierre-Luc Leblond—three minutes and forty seconds into the team’s first game. Things settled down a bit from there for Germain, who quickly proved to be a solid and consistent defender, as well as an important team leader. In December, Germain went on a bit of a plus/minus ‘tear’ as he played to a plus in nine of the thirteen games he played for Reading during that month. On December 16, he registered a season-high plus three (and picked up an assist) in the Royals’ 6-3 win over the Toledo Storm—the team’s first win at the Toledo Sports Arena since April of 2005, breaking a nine-game winless streak in Toledo for Reading. Germain’s cumulative plus twelve for December proved to be tops in the league, and he was honored with the HOK Sport ECHL Plus Performer of the Month Award.

Germain’s lone goal for the Royals last season proved dramatic, as well. With the Royals leading 2-1 against the Dayton Bombers mid-way into the second period at the Sovereign Center on February 23, 2007, Germain was assessed a minor penalty for tripping. Less than a minute later—while the Royals were playing short-handed—Malcolm MacMillan picked up a hooking minor to give Dayton a two skater advantage. The Royals’ penalty killers kept the Bombers at bay until Germain’s penalty expired. As he stepped out of the penalty box, goaltender Yutaka Fukufuji fed Jon Francisco who, in turn, hit a breaking Germain, who moved down the right wing and uncorked a blast that beat Dayton goaltender Dan LaCosta for the short-handed insurance goal in Reading’s 3-1 win.

The Royals’ home opener is on Saturday, November 3, 2007, against the Cincinnati Cyclones. Royals’ full Season Tickets and Total Choice Flex Plans are now on sale. To obtain more information on becoming a part of Royals’ hockey, call 610-898-PUCK to speak with Royals’ ticket representative or visit the Royals website, www.royalshockey.com.