Ontario Reign

The Ontario Reign are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) which began play in the 2015–16 season. Based in Ontario, California and affiliated with the National Hockey League's Los Angeles Kings, the team plays its home games at the Toyota Arena. For the 2020–21 season, the team plays out of the Kings' practice rink, Toyota Sports Center, in El Segundo.

For the former ECHL team that played from 2008 to 2015, see Ontario Reign (ECHL).
Ontario Reign
2020–21 AHL season
CityOntario, California
El Segundo, California[lower-alpha 1]
LeagueAmerican Hockey League
DivisionPacific
Founded2001
Home arenaToyota Arena
Toyota Sports Center[lower-alpha 1]
Colors   
Owner(s)Anschutz Entertainment Group
General managerRichard Seeley[1]
Head coachJohn Wroblewski
MediaInland Valley Daily Bulletin
AHL.TV (Internet)
AffiliatesLos Angeles Kings (NHL)
Franchise history
2001–2015Manchester Monarchs
2015–presentOntario Reign
Championships
Division Championships1 (2015–16)

The franchise is a relocation of the former Manchester Monarchs AHL franchise when several other franchises created a Pacific Division in 2015. The team is owned by the Anschutz Entertainment Group. The Reign replaced the ECHL team of the same name, which played from 2008 until 2015, after which they moved to Manchester, New Hampshire, to play as the Manchester Monarchs.

History

On January 29, 2015, the Los Angeles Kings announced that they would be moving their AHL affiliate, the Manchester Monarchs, to Ontario as one of five charter members of the AHL's new Pacific Division. The team retained the Reign nickname from its ECHL predecessor (which moved to Manchester and take on the Monarchs moniker, in essentially a "franchise swap").[2] The Reign's AHL logo was unveiled on Wednesday, February 11.

In its inaugural season in California, the Reign won the first Pacific Division regular season title with a 44–19–4–1 record. Goaltender Peter Budaj was named to the 2015–16 AHL First All-Star Team and was selected as the league top goaltender with the Baz Bastien Memorial Award.[3] Sean Backman lead the team in scoring with 21 goals and 34 assists while playing all 68 games for the Reign. The Reign would also win the division in the playoffs, defeating the San Jose Barracuda three-games-to-one and the San Diego Gulls four-games-to-one. In the conference finals, the Reign were swept by the eventual Calder Cup champion Lake Erie Monsters in four games.

During the next season in 2016–17, due to goaltender injuries and call-ups for their parent club, the Los Angeles Kings, the Reign ended up using a Canadian father-son duo Dusty and Jonah Imoo during a game in October 2016. Dusty Imoo (age 46) was a goaltending consultant with the Kings. Jonah (age 22) made his AHL debut on a tryout contract. Both the Imoos had grown up in Surrey, British Columbia.[4] By the end of the season, the Reign qualified for the playoffs in third place in the Pacific Division, losing in the first round to San Diego.

Approaching the delayed 2020–21 season, due to COVID-19 pandemic considerations, the Reign announced they would temporarily relocate and play out of the Kings' practice rink, Toyota Sports Center, in El Segundo.[5] The Sports Center would host all the Reign's home games closed to spectators.[6]

Season-by-season records
Regular season Playoffs
SeasonGPWLOTLSOLPtsPCTGFGAStandingYear1st round2nd round3rd roundFinals
2015–166844194193.6841921381st, Pacific2016W, 3–1, SJW, 4–1, SDL, 0–4, LE—
2016–1768362110183.6101991903rd, Pacific2017L, 2–3, SD———
2017–186836254379.5812001943rd, Pacific2018L, 1–3, TEX———
2018–196825336460.4412132747th, Pacific2019Did not qualify
2019–205729225164.5611661985th, Pacific2020Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Players

Current roster

Updated February 6, 2021.[7]

# Nat Player Pos S/G Age Acquired Birthplace Contract
35 Jean-Francois Berube G L 29 2020 Repentigny, Quebec Reign
8 Daniel Brickley D L 25 2018 Salt Lake City, Utah Kings
55 Quinton Byfield C L 18 2021 Newmarket, Ontario Kings
12 Blaine Byron (A) C L 25 2019 Manotick, Ontario Reign
37 Jacob Doty RW/C R 27 2019 Denver, Colorado Reign
47 Aidan Dudas C R 20 2021 Parry Sound, Ontario Kings
6 Sean Durzi D R 22 2019 Toronto, Ontario Kings
21 Mikey Eyssimont LW L 24 2018 Littleton, Colorado Kings
11 Samuel Fagemo RW R 20 2021 Göteborg, Sweden Kings
24 Cameron Gaunce (A) D L 30 2021 Sudbury, Ontario Reign
1 Troy Grosenick G L 31 2021 Brookfield, Wisconsin Kings
32 Nick Halloran RW R 23 2020 Draper, Utah Reign
3 Cole Hults D L 22 2021 Stoughton, Wisconsin Kings
18 Boko Imama LW L 24 2017 Montreal, Quebec Kings
34 Arthur Kaliyev LW L 19 2021 Tashkent, Uzbekistan Kings
9 Rasmus Kupari C R 20 2019 Kotka, Finland Kings
27 Tyler Madden C R 21 2021 Deerfield Beach, Florida Kings
43 Jacob Moverare D L 22 2021 Östersund, Sweden Kings
26 Markus Phillips D L 21 2019 Port Perry, Ontario Kings
22 Jack Poehling C L 24 2020 Lakeville, Minnesota Reign
23 Nick Poehling C L 24 2020 Lakeville, Minnesota Reign
19 Drake Rymsha C R 22 2018 Huntington Woods, Michigan Kings
38 Jack Sadek D R 23 2020 Lakeville, Minnesota Reign
13 Johan Sodergran LW L 21 2019 Stockholm, Sweden Kings
7 Brett Sutter (C) C L 33 2016 Calgary, Alberta Reign
14 Akil Thomas C R 21 2021 Scarborough, Ontario Kings
39 Alex Turcotte C L 19 2021 Island Lake, Illinois Kings
31 Matt Villalta G L 21 2019 Kingston, Ontario Kings

References
  1. Temporary location during the 2020–21 season.
  1. "Monarchs looking for new coach after Seeley named general manager of LA Kings' AHL affiliate". New Hampshire Union Leader. June 5, 2018.
  2. "Reign Become the AHL Affiliate of LA Kings". Ontario Reign. January 30, 2015. Retrieved January 31, 2015.
  3. "Reign's Budaj named AHL's top goaltender". American Hockey League. April 11, 2016. Archived from the original on April 14, 2016. Retrieved April 11, 2016.
  4. Greenizan, Nick (October 25, 2016). "Hockey history for Surrey father-son goalie tandem in AHL game in California". Peace Arch News.
  5. "28 teams to participate in 2020-21 season". American Hockey League. January 4, 2021. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
  6. "Closed to spectators, Reign to play home games at TSC". Toyota Sports Center. January 4, 2021. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
  7. "Ontario Reign roster". Ontario Reign. 2020-01-09. Retrieved 2021-01-06.
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