Royals sign Broughman, Purpura

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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 Travis Broughman and goaltender Vinnie Purpura have signed with the club for the 2024-25 season. Reading acquired the playing rights to both Broughman and Purpura from the Adirondack Thunder in exchange for the playing rights of forward Tag Bertuzzi on July 31.Action photos of Travis Broughman and Vinnie Purpura

Broughman registered 27 points (14g-13a) and 48 penalty minutes in 66 regular-season games with the Thunder to complete his second full professional season in the 2023-24 campaign. The Richmond, Virginia native added five points (1g-4a) during Adirondack’s 2024 Kelly Cup Playoff run which concluded in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the eventual Kelly Cup Champion Florida Everblades.

The 27-year-old has totaled 60 points (26g-34a) in 114 ECHL career games, all with Adirondack. Broughman began his professional career in 2021-22 with the Roanoke Rail Yard Dawgs in the Southern Professional Hockey League. He totaled 25 points (10g-15a) in 27 career SPHL games.

Prior to his professional career, Broughman was a point-per-game player at SUNY-Oswego, recording 78 points (41g-37a) in 77 career games. He was named the program’s captain his senior year in 2021-22 when he led the team with 28 points (13g-15a) in 25 games. That season, Broughman was named to the SUNYAC All-Conference First Team.

Purpura appeared in 25 games for the Thunder where he posted a 15-4-4 record, 2.78 goals-against-average, .908 save-percentage and one shutout to complete his first full professional season in the 2023-24 campaign. The Lemont, Illinois native signed a Professional Tryout Contract with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch on Nov. 13, 2023, but did not appear in a game.

The 25-year-old has complied a 17-4-4 career record with a 2.87 goals-against average and .907 save percentage in 29 professional career appearances. Purpura signed a contract  to begin his professional career with Adirondack on March 13, 2023 out of Long Island University.

Purpura posted a 12-34-1 record, 3.38 goals-against-average and .894 save-percentage in 53 NCAA career game appearances between parts of two seasons at Boston University (2018-20) and three seasons at Long Island University (2020-23). Purpura earned LIU’s hockey program’s first-ever victory against ranked opponent, making 32 saves in 3-2 win vs. No. 12 Ohio State University on Nov. 25, 2022.

He began the 2018-19 season in the United States Hockey League between the Omaha Lancers and the Youngstown Phantoms to conclude his junior hockey career. Additionally, Purpura played two seasons in the North American Hockey League for the Johnstown Tomahawks from 2016-18.