Poll: Should the Reign bring back Brett O’Malley?

The rundown on forward Brett O’Malley:

2010-11 stats [career]: 8 goals, 16 points, minus-12 rating, 40 penalty minutes in 62 games.

Quote: “If I came back here with more confidence and experience, I know I could score more goals and be more of an offensive player.”

Pros: O’Malley was nothing if not consistent as a rookie: Willing and able to kill penalties, be an active forechecker, and bring energy in a second- or third-line role. The 27-year-old rarely took bad penalties, and an above-average slapshot helped him score eight goals.

Cons: The Reign were 19th in the ECHL in goals scored, and O’Malley’s limited puck skills and career stats suggest he won’t help turn that around. Karl Taylor seems to identify a new, quality defense-first rookie forward every summer (Chris Curran, Mike Howe, Robert Pearce) and O’Malley’s turn might be up.


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About J.P. Hoornstra

J.P. Hoornstra covers the Dodgers, Angels and Major League Baseball for the Orange County Register, Los Angeles Daily News, Long Beach Press-Telegram, Torrance Daily Breeze, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Pasadena Star-News, San Bernardino Sun, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, Whittier Daily News and Redlands Daily Facts. Before taking the beat in 2012, J.P. covered the NHL for four years. UCLA gave him a degree once upon a time; when he graduated on schedule, he missed getting Arnold Schwarzenegger's autograph on his diploma by five months.