It’s not only time for the Kings to begin their 2026-27 season, but we’re also now less than three days away from the Ontario Reign kicking off their AHL campaign.
Coach Andrew Lord is back behind the bench after guiding Ontario to a franchise-best 99 points and a Pacific Division title. He’ll have a new assistant coach joining him, as well:
Ontario Reign Closing in on New Assistant Coach to Replace Hajt
When it comes to the roster, Lord and Reign GM Nelson Emerson have been doing some housekeeping this week. A number of guys on minor-league-only contracts have been reassigned to ECHL Greenville, including: Brendan Gorman, Neal Shea, Jacob Murray, Cameron Supryka, and Mattias Sholl.
What remains is a group of 26 players, primarily a mix of Kings prospects and a handful of AHL veterans. Joe Hicketts returns as team captain. Scott Perunovich — signed by the Kings as a depth option — will help anchor a rather young group of blueliners. Henry Brzustewicz and Jared Woolley will steal all the headlines in that department, a pair of promising rookies coming in from the OHL with championship experience.
Meanwhile, Angus Booth and Kirill Kirsanov are both knocking on the door of NHL call-ups; yet they’ll begin the season with Ontario.
Up front, look for Kenny Connors and Jared Wright to get significant minutes and see action in all situations. Both have already had a cup of coffee with LA and they’re expected back up with the big club at some point. It’s also a make-or-break year for several older prospects, like Franky Pinelli and Martin Chromiak.
Reign Projected Lineup
Based upon what was used in their two preseason games, here’s a quick look at how players may be aligned come Friday:
Jamsen – Pederson – Chromiak
Pinelli – Connors – Wright
Ward – Guttman – Ziemmer
Cihar – G. Slukynsky – Doty
Isogai – Lawrence – Hughes
Booth – Brzustewicz
Woolley – Millar
Hicketts – Mastrodomenico
Kirsanov – Perunovich
H. Slukynksy
George
Portillo
Injured: (F) Jenik (D) Dvorak, Salin
Other Roster Notes
— We’ll start with Vojtech Cihar. He was a point-per-game player in the WHL for 31 regular-season games and then upped his output slightly in the postseason. After scoring six goals in nine playoff games for Kelowna (and adding another seven assists), many are excited by what the future may hold for LA’s second rounder from 2025. Cihar sat fifth in our most recent edition of the LA Kings Prospect Rankings.
At the moment, there are more questions than answers. Well, that’s not entirely true. It’s really just one question: Where will he play this season? As a player drafted out of Europe, he has the most options available to him. He could essentially play in four places — NHL, AHL, CHL, or Europe. After starting last season in the Czech league, he migrated to the WHL following a run with his national team at the World Juniors. He really wants to be in the AHL right now. The question is, does he have the size and maturity for such a significant jump? Many scouts we’ve spoken with suggest another run in the WHL would be to his benefit. It all appears to be up in the air at the moment, as where he starts may not be where he finishes. He’s also expected to join Czechia once again for the WJC in December. Either way, we’ll be keeping a close eye on his situation as it continues to develop.
— Jan Jenik has not officially been assigned to the Reign; however, that’s simply a paperwork thing. He’s currently injured. Once recovered enough to practice with the team, he’ll join the club. Meanwhile, defensemen Jakub Dvorak and Otto Salin were both injured during training camp and their return dates have not been established quite yet.
— Kaleb Lawrence was jettisoned to Rochester last season after failing to secure an everyday role with the Reign. He’s been a full participant since rookie camp began in early September, including playing games at the Rookie Faceoff tournament in September. How long will his leash be once regular-season games get underway? At 6-foot-6, the size is there, and he has the ability to chip in with depth offense. He’ll need to play a clearly defined role to stay in the AHL. If not, he may be an early candidate for a ticket back to the ECHL.
Lead photo by Megan Sanders
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