Royals Sign Former Vipers Defenceman Florentino:

The East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) Reading Royals have signed former Vernon Vipers defenceman Rob Florentino. Florentino is in his first season with the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) Huntsville Havoc after signing with the Havoc this season. In 14 games this season with Huntsville Florentino has (5-goals-9-assists-14-points).

Florentino spent three years at the University of Massachusetts before leaving school and signing with the ECHL Las Vegas Wranglers on March 6th 2013 but was released on March 25th 2013.   Florentino went pointless in eleven games with Las Vegas.      

Florentino attended the Vernon Vipers 2009 Training Camp playing in a few exhibition games before being released. The Vipers with already the league limit six twenty year olds at that time were forced to release Florentino who was twenty. Florentino later signed with the Victoria Grizzlies where he started the 2009-2010 regular season.

Rob Florentino's Player Profile:

http://www.eliteprospects.com/player.php?player=42676

This is posted on the Royals website:

Royals Sign Defensemen Marvin Degon and Rob Florentino

December 6, 2013

By mthompson

Reading, PA – The Reading Royals of the ECHL, affiliate of the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League and the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League, today announced that the team has signed defensemen Marvin Degon and Rob Florentino, respectively, to ECHL contracts.

This marks the second stint in Reading for Degon (5’11/196) (30), an eighth year pro from Worcester, Massachusetts. This year, Degon recorded five assists in fifteen games with the Elmira Jackals before being released on Tuesday. Degon, who has played 437 pro games in the AHL, ECHL and Europe, recorded eleven points (4g-7a) in twenty-two games with the Royals in 2011-12 before leaving for the DEL in Germany. Prior to turning pro, Degon registered 83 points (27g-56a) and 109 penalty minutes in 146 college games at the U-Mass Amherst.

This year, Florentino (6’1/193) (24), a first year pro from West Roxbury, Massachusetts, has recorded fourteen points (5g-9a) in fourteen games to lead all defensemen on the Huntsville Havoc of the Southern Professional Hockey League. Last year, Florentino played eleven games with the Las Vegas Wranglers of the ECHL after the completion of his senior season at U-Mass Boston. During his collegiate career, Florentino led Beacon defensemen in scoring for three consecutive seasons. In his senior year, he was selected as an American Hockey Association Coaches All-American.

The Royals return to action tonight (Friday, December 6 @ 7:00 pm), when the team will travel to WesBanco Arena in Wheeling, West Virginia, to face-off against the Wheeling Nailers. That night, the pre-game warm-up show presented by Highmark Blue Shield will kick off at 6:30 pm on CBS Sports Radio 1240 am and 98.5 fm on the Royals Broadcast Network. As with all Royals road games this season, Friday’s game will be televised locally in Berks County, Pennsylvania, on BCTV courtesy of Boscov’s Travel and Apple Vacations.