Royals re-sign Bakich, add Kennedy

Reading, Pa. - The Reading Royals, ECHL affiliate of the National Hockey League's Philadelphia Flyers and American Hockey League's Lehigh Valley Phantoms, announced that forward Solag Bakich has re-signed and forward Spencer Kennedy has signed with the club for the 2023-24 season.Bakich, 25, returns to Reading for his first full professional season after signing his first professional contract with the Royals on March 18 last season. The Dallas, Texas native posted 10 points (3g-7a) and 13 penalty minutes in 12 regular-season games before adding four points (1g-3a) and six penalty minutes in eight games during the Kelly Cup Playoffs. Prior to Reading, Bakich played four seasons at Notre Dame where he totaled 33 points (13g-20a) in 108 career games. Before Notre Dame, Bakich played three seasons in the United States Hockey League with the Des Moines Buccaneers, Sioux City Musketeers and Waterloo Black Hawks.

Kennedy, 22, joins the Royals for his second professional season after playing his first professional season in the Southern Professional Hockey League for the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs. The Lethbridge, Alberta native posted three goals and 131 penalty minutes in 19 regular-season games for Roanoke. He joined the Rail Yard Dawgs after playing two seasons in the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference for the Portage College Voyageurs. With the Voyageurs, Kennedy totaled 10 points (4g-6a) and 170 penalty minutes in 28 career games. Before attending Portage College, Kennedy played junior hockey in the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League for the Kimberley Dynamiters, the Saskatchewan Hockey League for the La Ronge Ice Wolves, and the Northern Ontario Hockey League for the Blind River Beavers.