Taylor, Pelech on Dwight King.

Karl Taylor and Michael Pelech both exchanged text messages with Dwight King on Tuesday, when King became the first Reign player ever to get an NHL call-up.

(I should point out that Jon Rheault played in five preseason games with the Calgary Flames this season after being invited to their NHL training camp. In terms of regular-season call-ups at least, King’s is the first.)

“We’re very excited for him,” Taylor said. “Hopefully he gets a chance to play, does well. He’s nervous, obviously real excited – a young man getting to chance his dream.”

Continue reading “Taylor, Pelech on Dwight King.” »

Reign 4, Alaska 3.

The Reign have a modest winning streak going, and this time they didn’t need overtime.

Jeff Corey scored two more goals, giving him three in the first two
games of the three-game series, and lifting the Reign to their second
win over the Alaska Aces in as many days. Corey scored once on the power
play, once short-handed, and Lane Caffaro and Jon Francisco also scored
for the Reign (4-6-0-1).

Kellen Briggs, who had 37 saves in an overtime win Friday, stopped 31 of 34 shots in net. Center Dusty Collins
had three assists and defenseman David Walker had two helpers for the
Reign, who can finish off the three-game sweep today at Sullivan Arena.

Alaska (7-3-1-0) pulled ahead 2-1 at 12:35 of the middle period on Wes Goldie’s second goal of the game, but Caffaro’s power-play goal at 17:08 tied the game at 2.

Corey, who has quite a history of success at Sullivan, leads the team with six goals and 10 points in 11 games. Defenseman Eric Doyle picked up an assist in his first action after missing five games with an upper-body injury. He was activated from IR, and center C.J. Stretch took his place, prior to the game.

Reign 2, Alaska 1, OT.

Karl Taylor said Monday that he hoped the Reign’s seven-game losing streak amounted to “our slump for the season.” That thinking seems less wishful, and a bit closer to reality, after a 2-1 overtime win in Alaska on Friday.

The Reign won despite being outshot 39-14. Kellen Briggs made 37 saves, and Jeff Corey’s end-to-end goal ended the game 39 seconds into overtime. Michael Pelech scored with 9:19 left in the third period to tie the game at 1, his first goal coming in his second game back from the American Hockey League.

The two teams play again Saturday night at Sullivan Arena.

Victoria 4, Reign 1.

The back-to-back wins in Stockton to start the season are a distant memory, and the Reign are 2-4-1 after the Salmon Kings completed a three-game sweep on Saturday. They’ll come back to Ontario with fewer points in the standings than all but two teams in the ECHL’s Western Conference.

The Reign fell behind 1-0 at 10:03 of the first period on a goal by Victoria’s Matt Siddall. Aaron Lewadniuk’s second goal of the season, off assists from forwards Pierre-Andre Bureau and Jeff Corey, tied the game at 1 at 3:55 of the second period.

Victoria took the lead less than two minutes later on Siddall’s second goal of the contest. Derek Couture made it 3-1 at 5:14 of the third period and Kiel McLeod scored into an empty net late to provide the final score.

The Reign continued their power play drought with an 0-for-5 night on the man advantage, while holding the Salmon Kings 0-for-4.

Center Jon Francisco, who was injured in Friday’s 5-2 loss, did not play. Kellen Briggs stopped 21 of 24 shots in his third start on the road trip.

The Alaska Aces visit The Bank on Thursday and Saturday before the Reign travel to Anchorage.

Stockton 3, Reign 2, SO.

The Reign’s first regular-season home game, and their first trip to the shootout, ended in a loss.

Down 1-0 in the shootout, Chad Starling scored in the fifth and final round for the Reign. But Jason Pitton promptly fired in the game-winner on Stockton’s last shot to seal the win.

Jeff Corey and Jon Francisco scored goals in regulation for the Reign, and Corey scored another that popped out of the goal too quickly for the on-ice officials to correctly credit it as a goal.

Kellen Briggs allowed goals in the second and third periods to Jesse Gimblett and Pitton, respectively, the latter coming with the Reign on the power play. He finished with 29 saves and Tyson Sexsmith had 25 saves for Stockton.

More details in tomorrow’s editions of the Sun and Daily Bulletin.

Reign 5, Stockton 4, OT.

Chaz Johnson’s wrist shot past Tyson Sexsmith at 3:53 of overtime lifted the Reign to a 5-4 win before 5,769 at Stockton Arena.

Jeff Corey, Aaron Lewadniuk, Eric Doyle and Jon Francisco scored goals in regulation for the Reign (2-0-0), who got 26 saves from goaltender Martin Jones in his professional debut. Jordan Morrison and Matt Delahey each had two assists.

Stockton (0-1-1) surrendered leads of 2-0, 3-1 and 4-3 despite a 27-save effort from Sexsmith, who was playing his second game in as many nights.

More details in tomorrow’s editions of the Sun and Daily Bulletin.

Reign 6, Stockton 3.

Six different players scored goals, and Kellen Briggs made 24 saves, as the Reign won their season opener before 6,117 at Stockton Arena.

The Reign didn’t give the Thunder fans much to cheer about — they scored five goals before the Thunder scored one. Shawn Collymore, Jeff Corey, Kyle Kraemer, Matt Delahey, Chaz Johnson and Aaron Lewadniuk scored the goals. Lewadniuk and Kraemer finished with a goal and an assist. Morrison and Kraus had two assists apiece. David Walker and Luke Beaverson engaged in separate fights with Stockton’s Jesse Gimblett. (Beaverson won his; Walker scored the final knockdown but only after Gimblett won the hit count).

More details in tomorrow’s editions of the Sun and Daily Bulletin.

Two more signings announced.

Another dispatch from the vacation trail (only four days left …):

Forwards Kyle Kraemer (career stats) and Jeff Corey (career stats) have signed with the Reign. Both are veterans with ECHL experience, though I haven’t seen either play in person.

Going purely off official announcements, the current list of players who have signed for next season looks like this: forwards Brett O’Malley, Jon Francisco, Tim Kraus, Aaron Lewadniuk and C.J. Stretch; and defensemen Eric Doyle and Chad Starling.