Hockey’s Stanley Cup comes to Ontario Airport, Citizens Business Bank Arena

Fans lined up for a chance to see the Stanley Cup …

Four hours before the Stanley Cup was on display Friday at the LA/Ontario International Airport, Cassandra Duong was lined up with her family, eager to take her picture and show her support for hockey.

“This is the hardest achievement to ever get,” said Duong, an Ontario resident. “This is the hardest trophy to obtain. All the work and dedication that any hockey team has to go through to get this, it should be well respected.”

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Ontario Reign ready for a change from ECHL to AHL for next season

Via Bill Norris

On a cloudy Friday afternoon, the crowd outside Los Angeles/Ontario International Airport drove home the point:

Ontario is a hockey town.

As fans lined up to see the Stanley Cup, some of the final puzzle pieces were being put into place as the Kings and Reign announced that Los Angeles was taking full control of the Ontario franchise, and that it would become the team’s American Hockey League affiliate.

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It’s official: Kings, Ducks moving AHL franchises to Ontario, San Diego

LANG hockey writer Elliott teaford breaks down the NHL West Coast teams moving their AHL affiliates to California …

The American Hockey League’s California migration became official Thursday. The Kings will shift their top minor-league team from Manchester, N.H., to Citizens Business Bank Arena in Ontario and theDucks will move theirs from Norfolk, Va., to the Valley View Casino Center in San Diego.

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Ontario Reign on a roll, may learn fate of next season soon

Via Bill Norris …

A little rest did the Ontario Reign some good after all.

The Reign returned to action after six days off by winning three of their last four games to head into the All-Star break tied for first in the Pacific Division with the Idaho Steelheads.

With the break for the All-Star game, the Reign will be off until Jan. 27, and won’t return to action at Citizens Business Bank Arena until Jan. 28.

And when they return to the ice in Ontario, the team’s future may become clearer, as Ontario’s long-speculated move to the American Hockey League is expected to become official at the AHL meetings Jan. 25.

And with it, a new era for Ontario hockey will begin.

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