Jason Binkley Named Royals Assistant Coach

The Reading Royals, ECHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Flyers and Lehigh Valley Phantoms, have announced that Jason Binkley has been hired as the team’s assistant coach.

Royals’ general manager David Farrar stated, “We’re excited to bring Jason on board as the Royals’ next assistant coach. Under Coach Henry’s leadership I’m sure Jason and our hockey operations staff will be well prepared for the 2022-23 season as we head into the next era of Royals hockey.”

“Gaining coaching experience this past season, combined with a great playing career, Jason’s resume in hockey gives our group a great opportunity to have success,” said Royals’ head coach James Henry. “Jason’s competitiveness, work ethic, and knowledge of the game are just a few reasons for why he makes a great fit for this position. We’re lucky and excited to work with Jason.”

“It’s a really exciting opportunity,” stated Binkley. “My wife and I and our German Shepherd dog, Iris, are excited to get over to Reading to get this whole process started. Having two young coaches that played in the league, we’re going to try to bring an exciting hockey team to Reading and make sure the fans are enjoying the games. For me to be able to move up in my career and have this opportunity to excel, it’s extremely exciting. I’m really grateful for this opportunity. My wife and I can’t wait to get to Reading and get going.”

“I’d like to thank James Henry and David Farrar for allowing me this opportunity to further my career and help out an organization that has been very, very good in the ECHL for many years.” said Binkley. “The Royals are a top notch organization with their affiliates, their setup and everything along those lines. So I’m definitely excited for the opportunity to get over to Reading and to get going. I have to give thanks to Chuck Norris, owner of the Fayetteville Marksmen as well as Fayetteville’s head coach Cory Melkert. They took an opportunity on me last season not knowing anything about me and said, ‘Okay, this kid has some experience, let’s see how he is going to transition to coaching?’ It worked out and because I got a year of coaching under my belt I’m hoping to use my experience to transition into this role.”

Binkley, 30, is the twenty-second assistant coach in the twenty-one year team history of the Royals. He joins the coaching staff now under head coach James Henry.

“I think being a younger coaching staff and two guys that played in this league in particular can help the team and the players navigate through the long season,” said Binkley. “Our goal is to continue to teach and grow players and develop them for higher levels of hockey but at the end of the day, having a younger coaching staff, we will probably be more player forward coaches. That’s kind of how the transition is going across hockey if you’ve noticed which other ECHL coaches have been hired. Ultimately, James and I will be working together day in and day out and put the best team on the ice we can with the players that we have at that time. Our goal is to continue to develop them and help them reach the next level.”

The Powell, Ohio native concluded his first season of coaching this past season as an assistant coach for the Fayetteville Marksmen in the Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL). Binkley, under head coach Cory Melkert, led the Marksmen to their winningest season in the franchise’s twenty-year history. With Binkley behind the player’s bench, the Marksmen compiled a record of 40-14 in the regular season and made it to the Quarterfinal round of the President’s Cup playoffs.

Before coaching, Binkley played NCAA Division-I hockey at Ferris State University. In his freshman season, Binkley competed in the 2012 Frozen Four championship game as a defenseman for the Bulldogs. Binkley scored 68 points (6 G, 62 A) across his collegiate career. He won the Ferris State President’s award for the top Bulldog student athlete his Sophomore year and was selected to the NCAA All-Academic team his Senior year.

Binkley played six seasons of professional hockey and made his professional debut in 2015 in the ECHL with the South Carolina Stingrays. Along with South Carolina, Binkley had stints with the Utah Grizzlies, Cincinnati Cyclones and Fort Wayne Komets. In 2017 and 2018, Binkley was a part of two deep playoff runs with the Komets and was among the top-three defenseman on the team in points. At the end of the 2018 season, Binkley received the The Unsung Hero Award, given to the player whose hard work, dedication to his teammates and love of the game is in the true spirit of Komet legends Robbie Irons and Terry Pembroke.

In 2019-20, Binkley played 38 games with Fort Wayne before playing four games in the AHL with the Cleveland Monsters. In the same season, Binkley went overseas to play in the Elite Ice Hockey League (EIHL) with the Nottingham Panthers in England.

Binkley returned back to the ECHL to complete his final year as a player with the Jacksonville Iceman in the 2020-21 season.

Across his professional playing career, Binkley scored 28 goals and 113 assists (141 points) in 341 games.

Jason Binkley Playing Career Notes:

Drafted #144 overall by the Tri-City Storm in the USHL Entry Draft (2009)
Made playoffs in the EJHL, New Jersey Hitmen (2009-10)
Competed in NCAA Frozen Four championship game, finished fifth among defesemen in points on team as a freshman, Ferris State Univ. (2011-12)
Selected, President’s award for the top Bulldog student athlete, led team in assists(18) and defensemen in points(20), Ferris State Univ. (2012-13)
Led team in assists (21), Ferris State Univ. (2013-14)
Selected, NCAA All-Academic team, Ferris State Univ. (2014-15)
Made playoffs in the ECHL, led defensemen on team in goals(7), assists(37) and points(44), Fort Wayne Komets (2016-17)
Made playoffs in the ECHL, third among defesemen on team in points(34), Fort Wayne Komets (2017-18)
Selected, The Unsung Hero Award, Fort Wayne Komets (2017-18)