Karl Taylor on Jonathan Quick.
Check out what Reign coach Karl Taylor, who coached Kings goalie Jonathan Quick last year in Reading, had to say on his star pupil here.
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Check out what Reign coach Karl Taylor, who coached Kings goalie Jonathan Quick last year in Reading, had to say on his star pupil here.
In case you missed it, the Kings traded goalie Jason LaBarbera to the Vancouver Canucks today, which could mean that former Reign goalie Jeff Zatkoff stays in the AHL for a while.
Zatkoff, you may recall, was assigned to Manchester by the Kings when Erik Ersberg went down with a groin injury a couple weeks ago. Jon Quick was called up to the NHL, and he responded with two shutouts in his first five starts. Apparently Quick passed the audition (rather quickly, I might note) and LaBarbera got traded to a team that could use a goalie.
For his part, Zatkoff allowed three goals and took the loss in his lone appearance with the Monarchs.
The Reign will send three players to next month's ECHL all-star game and skills competition in Reading, Pa.: Forwards Tim Kraus and Geoff Walker, and goalie Jeff Zatkoff.
Zatkoff is in Manchester and there's a good chance he won't be back in a Reign uniform when the all-star game is played, but he is still among the league's statistical leaders following his Dec. 12 promotion.
Kraus, 21, leads Reign rookies with 16 assists in 30 appearances with the Reign and is tied for third amongst his teammates in scoring with 22 points (6g, 16a). Kraus recorded an 8-game point streak, tallying two goals, seven assists (9 points) and a plus-4 rating, from December 5 through 21, and ranks 13th amongst league rookies in scoring.
Walker, 21, has been amongst the ECHL leading rookies throughout the course of the 2008-09 season and is currently ranked 10th in rookie scoring with 24 points (10g, 14a). He is tied for the lead amongst league rookies with 14 power play points and is tied for second place with nine power play assists. The Charlottetown, PEI, native most recently recorded a 4-game point streak (2g, 3a, 5 points) from December 15 -21.
What all three have in common is that they're rookies, which is no coincidence. Turns out the ECHL has promoted its rookies in this game the last several years rather than journeymen minor-leaguers with better stats (like Jon Francisco and Max Boisclair).
More details in tomorrow's editions.
Manchester Monarchs head coach Mark Morris gave Ontario Reign coach Karl Taylor a shout-out after the Monarchs, the Kings' AHL affiliate, beat Springfield 4-2 this afternoon.
Jon Rheault and Dusty Collins both scored goals, and here was Morris' quote (from http://manchestermonarchs.com/fullstory.php?id=3276):
"We have to give a lot of credit to our ECHL affiliate's coach Karl Taylor (Ontario Reign) for picking players for us to call up," said Morris. "Their (Rheault, Collins) continuous effort were key factors in tonight's win. We continue to find a way to win."
It's not official, but a fun read from the Reading Eagle if you've got a few minutes: http://www.readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=116656
The first Fresno Falcons-related schedule change hit the Reign just now. The ECHL announced the Bakersfield Condors will host the Reign at 6 p.m. Sunday at Rabobank Arena. The Reign were originally scheduled to visit Fresno on Sunday, before Fresno cancelled its season yesterday.
The Fresno Bee tells a very sad account of the Fresno Falcons' decision Monday to cease operations.
Among the key points:
- It's possible the Falcons could return for a 42nd season in 2009-10, but ECHL commissioner Brian McKenna told the newspaper "a great deal of damage has been done."
- 27 players, three coaches and "up to seven" staff members will lose their jobs.
- Because many of the players and coaches are Canadians and here on work visas, they cannot get unemployment benefits and may face deportation.
This has the potential to have a tremendous impact on the Reign. As coach Karl Taylor said himself, "this changes everything."
The ECHL sent out this press release earlier today:
The ECHL announced Monday that the Board of Governors had voted unanimously to terminate the Membership of the Fresno Falcons, effective immediately. The termination of the Membership comes as a result of the Fresno ownership group notifying the ECHL that they are unable to continue to operate the Membership for financial reasons. Failure to ice a team for play is grounds for automatic termination under the ECHL Bylaws. "We are very disappointed for our fans, league partners and the other member teams," said ECHL Commissioner Brian McKenna. "The ECHL would like to thank the Fresno fans for their support of the Falcons." Fresno players will immediately become unrestricted free agents. Bakersfield is working on an exhibition game for Saturday to replace the game scheduled against Fresno and will announce details as soon as they become available. Fresno's games against Ontario on Sunday and Victoria on Monday have been cancelled. The league said that work has begun on a revised version of the playing schedule which will be released as soon as possible.
More from coach Taylor:
First reaction?
"Extreme disappointment. It's not a very good situation. Secondly, a lot of compassion for the coach, staff, everyone that workds there. I feel really bad for the players, the coaching staff and training staff."
What impact will this have on the Reign?
"I don't know yet. It's five hours old. Their players become free agents and the schedule's going to change. It's too early to say anything. The biggest impact is, all of a sudden there's 20 free agents that affect the balance of the league. We worked very hard to recruit our team. All of a sudden this changes everything. Those players can go anywhere they want. They're trying to spend Christmas with their families, that's what they need to concentrate on."
From executive VP of business operations Justin Kemp:
Obviously it's disappointing. It's not good for the league. To lose a team for the second time in midseason but separately, Fresno being in our division, it does have some impact on our schedule, which we'll be working over the next week to try and make up for those games. Hopefully it'll be a minimal impact.
"The initial impact, we had a game scheduled Sunday at Fresno which wil be cancelled. After that it's tough to say. Two additional home games, January 23 and March 18. Those would likely be lost dates. We'll know a little more here in the coming week once all the arena availabilities have been given to the league. It will probably require some additional travel dates. We'll certainly change some things. All things considered, being in the same division, we'll be in better shape because we only had three (more) games against them."
Will this affect any promotions/giveaways?
No. We had one large group night that we've been selling Jan. 23, which is one of those. There's nothing we'll do for sure to the schedule if there's going to be changes to that. Those weekend dates are hard to fill someone else in because everyone's playing on the weekends. Typically you lose that Friday or Saturday date. We'll wait until we know before we call anyone or change anything."
More in tomorrow's editions.
3:56 p.m. updates: Check out this link to the Fresno Bee and this link to the Stockton Record for more details of the carnage.
After recording five assists in the first six games of his American Hockey League career, defenseman Andrew Martens was back in an Ontario Reign uniform during warmups at Citizens Business Bank Arena. The Reign and Stockton Thunder drop the puck in about 5 minutes. The Reign now have five defensemen on the active roster; Dan Knapp is in street clothes and remains on IR.
In the Inland Empire's most anticipated hockey game ever played in Winnipeg ... the Manitoba Moose beat the Manchester Monarchs 4-2 on Tuesday night. Three players who were members of the Ontario Reign last week took part in this game: Jon Rheault and Dusty Collins for Manchester, and Andrew Martens for Manitoba.
Collins had the best game, scoring a goal in his first AHL game of the season. Martens picked up an assist (bringing his total to four assists in the first two games of his AHL career). Rheault was held without a point and was a minus-2. The game sheet is here and a game summary is here.
They play each other again at 7:30 p.m. tonight, when Jeff Zatkoff is expected to join the Monarchs; no word yet whether he'll start or back up Jonathan Bernier.
It's pure speculation at this point, but the groin injury suffered Monday night by Kings goalie Erik Ersberg could have a ripple effect on the Reign. Jon Quick got called up from AHL affiliate Manchester on Tuesday, leaving the Monarchs with an empty spot in goal behind Jonathan Bernier.
[Interesting note for Kings fans: Bernier isn't the one getting the NHL call-up this time. In the past, Kings GM Dean Lombardi has painted the situation between Bernier, Quick and Reign goalie Jeff Zatkoff as an open competition to become the Kings' goalie of the future. Perhaps this is some indication that Quick has gained a length on Bernier at the front of the pack.]
Here's where it gets interesting for Reign fans. Manchester inked goalie Jonathan Boutin to a pro tryout agreement on the verge of the Monarchs' game against the Manitoba Moose tonight in Manitoba.
Two logical questions:
1, Do the Kings envision Boutin as the Monarchs' long-term backup to Bernier, or just a short-term stopgap because he can quickly get from his ECHL team in Victoria to Manitoba for this game?
2, Do the Monarchs have something against goalies not named Jonathan?
If the answer to question #2 is no, feel free to speculate that Zatkoff is headed from the Reign to Manchester any day now.
Update (7:06 p.m.): Thanks to Marc Nathan for providing clarification to question #1. See the comment below.
Update (7:43 p.m.): Zatkoff is going to Manchester, according to today's official ECHL transactions.
From Laura Johnson up in snowy Wrightwood...
Wrightwood, CA - December 15, 2008- More than two feet of new snow has fallen at Mountain High and that number is expected to rise as snow showers blanket the region. The West Resort is now 100% open offering 31 trails and a good mixture of beginner to advanced terrain. The East Resort will make its seasonal debut later this week and resort operators are currently evaluating the North Resort for a possible weekend-opening as well.
Mountain High's late opening was seen as an omen by many but this major winter storm has put the Wrightwood Resort right where it wants to be pre-holiday. All three resorts will be open for skiing and snowboarding by Christmas, and the North Pole Tubing Park will open this Friday as well. For a complete listing of lifts and trails along live cams and custom weather forecasts log onto www.mthigh.com.
Says John McColly, Director of Marketing, "It's fantastic out there. I just got off the mountain and it's as good as I've ever seen it."
Ticket rates return to regular price first thing tomorrow morning but skiers and snowboarders looking to save money can still get a season pass for just $349. That's $250 off the regular rate but this sale ends Sunday, December 21st, so guests are advised to act quickly. For avid skiers and snowboarders, a season pass is the best way to save money and pays for itself in just six visits.
Next time you see Chris Curran, make it a point to joke that the Reign should start all their games at midnight.
The center hadn't scored all season before the wee hours of Tuesday morning, when he scored the lone goal in a 1-0 Reign win over the Las Vegas Wranglers. The game started at 11:59 p.m. Monday and finished around 2:20 Tuesday morning before a paid crowd of 5,101 at the Orleans Arena. It's the sixth straight year the Wranglers have hosted a midnight game, but the first time the Reign have played an official game at such an ungodly hour.
Curran hit jackpot 1:24 into the second period. The goal came about a week after he shaved his moustache -- go ahead and joke about that too -- and came off a Geoff Walker assist. Jeff Zatkoff got the start and made 35 saves, the first shutout of his professional career and the second ever for the Reign, who were outshot 35-20.
Second-place Ontario gained some separation on third-place Las Vegas despite suiting up just 13 skaters (9 forwards, 4 defensemen). That's two fewer than Vegas skated and three above the ECHL minimum. No telling when they got into town; the team bus had to re-route through Arizona because of snowfall along I-15 Monday morning.
More good news: The Reign get four days off before their next game, on Friday in Vegas.
If you include the preseason, Andrew Martens scored the first goal in Ontario Reign history. So you should remember him. He was only promoted to the Manitoba Moose on Monday, and in his first AHL game the defenseman recorded three assists in a 4-2 Moose victory on Friday night.
Reign coach Karl Taylor said earlier this week that Martens would have a chance to stick at the AHL level, and Martens appears to be taking advantage of it early. Check out this story from the Winnipeg Sun.
...and the Panthers fall short in their first bid for a Southern Section title.
Your second-half scoring:
CO: Adam Muema 3 run (Robert Poage kick).
CO: Brandon Golden 14 run (Poage kick).
DR: Xavier Molina-Williams 10 pass from Gus Viramontes (Marley kick).
CO: Adam Muema 2 run (Poage kick).
Your scoring so far:
1st Quarter
Charter Oak: Robert Poage 30-yard field goal at 2:03.
>>The Chargers had great field position to start the drive at the Panthers' 30 yard line, but got stopped in a critical third-and-3 pass attempt on the 14-yard line. That set up the easy field goal for Poage. 3-0, Charter Oak.
2nd Quarter
Diamond Ranch: Brian Spirlin 15 TD run at 11:24.
>>This drive started late in the first quarter for Diamond Ranch, which got great field position after a 45-yard punt return by Jojo Curiel. It took only six plays from there for the game's first touchdown, as Spirlin broke the first wave of tacklers and was helped by a push from big lineman Xavier Molina-Williams. Sean Marley hit the extra point. 7-3, Diamond Ranch.
Charter Oak: Adam Muena 3 TD run at 8:13.
>> A 7-play, 74-yard drive spanning 3:04 was highlighted by a big 29-yard scramble by Charter Oak QB Chris Allen. Allen also completed a 21-yard pass to tight end Tyler Perri. Poage's extra point attempt hit the crossbar after a poor snap. 9-7, Charter Oak.
Any Reign fans wondering who will take the place of the recently-promoted Jon Rheault and Andrew Martens won't have to look far. There were no new players in practice Friday; coach Karl Taylor said "it's possible" he could sign a player Saturday morning, but that didn't sound like the most likely scenario.
Unless something changes, expect Ryan MacGregor to come off 3-day IR and step in at forward. Defenseman Dan Knapp (on 7-day IR with a bum shoulder) is 50-50 to play tomorrow night against Fresno, and Taylor might just rotate five defensemen if Knapp can't go.
More in tomorrow's editions.
It looks like Teddy Purcell's NHL call-up is rippling down to the Reign. Jon Rheault is going to the Manchester Monarchs, three days after defenseman Andrew Martens was called up by the Manitoba Moose.
For Rheault, it will be his second stint at the AHL level this season. He started in Manchester and scored one goal in seven games before he was sent to Ontario. In 16 games with the Reign, Rheault had five goals and 14 points.
This doesn't necessarily mean anything for the Reign yet ... BUT it's worth noting that the Kings called up forward Teddy Purcell from the AHL Manchester Monarchs earlier today. That means there is a roster spot to fill at the next level of the Kings' system, the usual precursor to a promotion for an ECHL player. Keep your eye on this one.
And just in case you missed it, Andrew Martens was promoted earlier today.
Reign defenseman David Walker, who had been partnered with Andrew Martens most of this season, offered some interesting thoughts on his recently-departed mate...
He's got really good speed from the back end. Especially on the power play, he can pick the puck up from his own zone, skate the length of the ice and get it into the zone instead of making the pass. He can create second chances, third chances on rebounds for us. We've capitalized on a lot of times when he does that. His speed backs off a defender. He's got a really good shot. He makes a conscious effort when he shoots the puck to hit the net. With a good shot like his, you're either going to get a wrister with a faceoff, a goal or a second rebound with another opportunity to generate more chances. It's the little things. Sometimes you might not notice them, but guys in the locker room, we all notice the little things he does. He's a positive guy on the bench and in the dressing room. He takes advantage of using his strength. When it's 5-on-4 or 5-on-3, you can really notice it.
Is it rare to see an ECHL guy picked up by an AHL team he's not affiliated with?
I think, especially nowadays with the way the NHL is with the cap, guys are just getting more opportunities. You see you've got guys in our league now that have played in the NHL but for salary-cap reasons it's tougher to find jobs. Guys say, you always want to go to a camp, or you want a contract, but it's not always the best thing for a player. Sometimes the best thing is to be a free agent. If you are under an (NHL) contract, you're contracted to one team. If you're not on a contract, you're available to any team that wants you. I think that's paid off for him. Not to say that he wouldn't have gotten called up to Manchester, but he's played well up to this point. Another team could use his services, so if you're a free agent, you relish that fact. Especially the older you get, if you don't get a legit contract sometimes it's better to be a free agent. You try to play your best. Hopefully things happen in your favor.We're happy to see him get an opportunity. He's worked hard to get it.
It's official: Defenseman Andrew Martens today became the first Reign player called up to the AHL (if you exclude Jon Rheault, Ryan Card and Denny Johnston, who are all under contract to the Reign but started the season in Manchester). But Martens isn't going to Manchester.
He'll report to the Manitoba Moose, the Vancouver Canucks' affiliate. Not coincidentally, the Reign just finished a two-game set at home against the Canucks' ECHL affiliate, the Victoria Salmon Kings. Presumably the Vancouver/Manitoba brass liked what they saw from Martens, more than what they saw from their own guys playing for the Salmon Kings.
What does this mean for the Reign? For Martens? More in tomorrow's editions...
If you've been following the Ontario Reign lately, you've also been following the Stockton Thunder lately. The two teams have played each other five times in the last month -- a span of just 12 games for the Reign.
So you've seen plenty of Cory Urquhart, Ryan Huddy and Stephane Goulet. The trio of Thunder combined for four goals and four assists in those five games, but now they're gone. All have been called up to the Edmonton Oilers' American Hockey League affiliate within the last week. It's nightmarish timing for an ECHL team; as Karl Taylor once told me "an AHL team can take all 20 of my players right now if they want to."
Well, an AHL team just took three of Stockton's better players ... good news for Reign fans.
The Ontario Reign are giving the gift of two-wheeled, non-combustion-powered locomotion this December. In other words, it's a bike drive (ride?) for the Inland Empire's underprivileged children.
Your used bicycle, however, will not do. For convenience's sake, monetary donations can be made online here. A donation of $100 is worth one bicycle and four tickets to a Reign game. Donors also get four tickets to a Reign home game in return. The drive runs through Friday.
I just realized this didn't get in the story for Saturday's paper: Forward Ryan Bowness, who is on 30-day injured reserve, underwent surgery on his hand Thursday and there is no timetable for his return.
And yes, that's what I do at 2:30 a.m. on Sundays.
The Reign got the revenge they were looking for Saturday night in Stockton, beating the Thunder 4-0 a night after the Thunder won 3-2 at CBBA. John Murray stopped 26 shots in the Reign's first shutout of the season; it was the second shutout of his young career.
Other noteworthy developments:
• The Reign went 1-for-3 on the power play and denied Stockton on their four power-play chances.
• Todd Jackson (4th goal of the season), Dusty Collins (5), Brad Mehalko (4) and Geoff Walker (8) scored the goals.
• Mehalko was on the ice for three of the Reign goals, a very good game for a guy not known for his offense.
• The Reign host the Victoria Salmon Kings (who bear the corniest logo I've seen this season) Sunday night at 5 p.m.
Checked my e-mail this afternoon only to learn I've been missing out on a full day of snowboarding. There's 6 to 12 inches of snow up in Wrightwood; the park opens at 9 a.m. tomorrow and closes at 4 p.m. More details here.
With No. 1 goalie Jeff Zatkoff injured, it looks like John Murray got more than just three wins out of his four straight starts recently. Murray was named the ECHL's goaltender of the week for the week of Nov. 24-30.
That timespan doesn't include the losses (one start, one in relief) that Murray absorbed after Zatkoff strained his groin Nov. 21 in Fresno. So officially, the 21-year-old was recognized for going 3-0 with a 1.62 goals-against average in wins against Stockton, Bakersfield and Alaska. He lowered his GAA to 2.49, eighth among active ECHL goalies with at least eight games played (Zatkoff is fifth at 2.38).
Updating my previous entry, Reign coach Karl Taylor was able to shed light on two facets of the Augusta Lynx's cancellation of their season following the Reign's win Wednesday.
First, all the Lynx players immediately became free agents -- not waiver-wire players -- so any ECHL team with the necessary roster (and budget) space can sign the "Augusta 18" at any moment, regardless of their position in waiver priority.
Second, the Reign will not be signing any of them. Said Taylor: "I like my team. They have some players that could help our team, but there's nobody that would change us drastically enough. I'm comfortable with my group."
The Augusta Lynx, a member of the ECHL's American Conference, was forced to cease operations 17 games into the season, canceling the remainder of its season.
Augusta's attendance was bad and reportedly needed at least $200,000 by Tuesday afternoon to stay afloat.
So what does this mean for the Reign?
The Lynx's 18 players have become free agents, including their goalie named M. Brodeur (though the Reign don't need a goalie, that's a fortuitous name for Mike Brodeur). Conceivably the Reign would be able to sign any of them after releasing one of their current players; however, this may be subject to the waiver priority system, which gives higher priority to teams lower in the standings. Where the Reign are ranked in this system depends on a number of factors, including how many other ECHL teams have claimed players off waivers. (If you've played fantasy sports, you are probably familiar with this process). Hopefully Karl Taylor can provide an explanation after tonight's game against the Victoria Salmon Kings.
The Reign didn't have any games scheduled against the Lynx this year; teams in the National (western) Conference do not face teams in the American (eastern) Conference until the Kelly Cup Finals.
