For the sixth and final time this season, the Ontario Reign will face the San Jose Barracuda on Wednesday — and it will be an early game, with puck drop scheduled for 10am. This is part of the traditional School Day game series, where AHL teams pack their arenas with local school children (ed. note – that’s a pretty awesome field trip; way better than the local pizza shop my elementary teacher took us to).
In the five previous games between these teams in 2021-22, Ontario won they first four. Although they dropped the last contest 4-3 in overtime earlier this month, it’s those previous games that were perhaps most telling. The Reign victories came on scores of 7-4, 4-1, 7-1, and 8-5. They’re going to need to find the offense from other places this time around, though, as Gabe Vilardi, Martin Frk, Tyler Madden, and Austin Wagner provided the majority of those totals. None of them will be in the lineup today. On the positive side, Jaret Anderson-Dolan had a hat trick in one of the games and Sammy Fagemo also scored a pair of goals that same night. Both guys will play today in top-6 roles.
Frk remains out with an injury suffered in practice a week ago. Madden and Turcotte haven’t played in quite some time (more below). On defense, Christian Wolanin will attempt to draw back in after missing several games with an illness.
Perhaps the biggest news of all — and the pun is certainly apropos, given he’s 6-foot-6 without skates — LA Kings prospect Samuel Helenius is set to make his AHL debut this morning. Read more about him and his skill set in the article linked here:
More on LA Kings prospect Samuel Helenius here (from last summer's write up)…https://t.co/sIXmfqyZAG
— The Mayor | John Hoven (@mayorNHL) March 28, 2022
Ontario Reign rookie coming (very) soon… pic.twitter.com/Juor5IGE7n
— The Mayor | John Hoven (@mayorNHL) March 30, 2022
With today being a School Day game, it also stirs up memories of Vilardi’s AHL debut in 2018.
Ontario Reign play at 10am today in San Jose, the annual School Day game (where the arena is full of local school children).
FUN FACT: Gabe Vilardi debuted at School Day game in Bako on Nov 29, 2018. — see below.
Random trivia note, that was also @TheVinScully's 91st birthday. https://t.co/tA3KNk8uYd
— The Mayor | John Hoven (@mayorNHL) March 30, 2022
ONTARIO REIGN PROJECTED LINEUP vs. SAN JOSE BARRACUDA
Ward – Tynan – Fagemo
Tkachev – Anderson-Dolan – Dudas
Sutter – Thomas – Ierullo
Pavlychev – Helenius – Doty
Other options include: Frk
Injured: Madden
Unavailable: Turcotte (explained here)
Gaunce – Grans
Hickey – Allard
Wolanin – Nogier
Other options include: Kasastul
Villalta (starter)
Parik
Puck drop is scheduled for 10am today and the game can be viewed on AHL TV.
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