Ontario Reign hockey is officially back!
Following a historic 2025-26 season, Andrew Lord’s Ontario Reign usher in a new era tonight as they open their 2026-27 campaign against the Coachella Valley Firebirds in the first half of a home-and-home weekend set.
Yes, the same Firebirds team that eliminated the Reign from the Calder Cup Playoffs last season. And Coachella Valley returns with a familiar roster, avoiding much of the year-to-year turnover that typically comes with the AHL. Given that Ontario is in a similar position — 11 Reign players who suited up in that Game 5 loss will be back in the lineup tonight — expect plenty of fireworks from the opening faceoff.
Up front, Kings prospects Kenny Connors and Jared Wright will pace the field of candidates looking to make an early impression and possibly increase their chances for a call-up to the big club.
Taylor Ward is also set to return to AHL action tonight after spending the second half of last season with the Kings. In 32 AHL games last year, Ward recorded 21 points, including 12 goals and nine assists.
Additionally, Vojtech Cihar will be making his pro debut tonight inside Acrisure Arena. The highly touted 19-year-old prospect is coming off a strong season with the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL, where he recorded 31 points (12G, 19A) in 31 games.
“When you watch him play — he just does the little things right,” said Jarret Stoll over the summer. “He makes the right play. He makes the smart play. He’s a great 200-foot player already.”
Grant Slukynsky is also expected to make his AHL debut tonight. The 22-year-old forward spent the past two seasons at Western Michigan, where he recorded 76 points and helped the Broncos capture their first national championship in 2025.
With three goaltenders on the roster, it remains unclear what type of rotation the team will eventually deploy. For Game 1, though, they’ll start out with the most senior of the trio, letting Erik Portillo man the crease. One of Carter George and Hampton Slukynsky will serve as the backup, and then we’ll see what tomorrow brings in the rematch.
Defensively, LA’s first-round pick from 2025, Henry Brzustewicz, will begin his first full pro season in Ontario after dipping his toe in the AHL pond late last season. Jared Woolley has also arrived, and at 6-foot-4 and 215 lbs., many in the organization are eager to see him take a big step forward in competition. How quickly he can ascend to being NHL-ready should be a season long story to follow. Just ahead of him on the depth chart are Angus Booth and Kirill Kirsanov, who were a formidable pairing for much of last season.
Brzustewicz Trending Toward Ontario, With a Familiar Face Alongside Him
It may be the most highly anticipated season in Reign history. Excitement is at an all-time high following a record-setting 2025-26 campaign, and that anticipation has only grown with the introduction of a new logo, new sweaters, and a talented roster featuring several exciting prospects. With expectations high and a new era underway, the Reign are primed for another exciting season in Ontario.
Reign Projected Lineup
Lord and crew traveled to Coachella Valley on Thursday afternoon and then took morning skate in the desert earlier today. Below is our projected alignment. If there are any key changes during pregame warmups, this article will be updated.
Chromiak – Connors – Wright
Ward – Pederson – Guttman
Jamsen – Pinelli – Ziemmer
Cihar – G. Slukynsky – Doty
Kirsanov – Booth
Hicketts – Brzustewicz
Woolley – Perunovich
Portillo
George
Likely scratches: (F) Hughes, Isogai, Lawrence (D) Mastrodomenico, Millar and (G) H. Slukynksy
Injured: (F) Jenik (D) Dvorak, Salin
Key Game Info
https://twitter.com/ontarioreign/status/2105342192227352851
Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m. Pacific Time and all regular season games will be streamed via FloSports and a Reign radio feed can be found here.
Game day graphic by ALoImages
Note to webmasters/reporters: When recapping news or interviews from this site please remember to include a link to www.MayorsManor.com
Leave a Reply