Sporting an opinion

The Reign went 1-2 against the Steelheads on their road trip to Idaho last week, including a 6-0 loss in Saturday's series finale.

According to Karl Taylor, it wasn't as poor a performance as you might think. Here's what he had to say after Tuesday's practice:

The first game (a 3-0 loss), we played really well. We didn't win, but I thought we played really well. It was basically a 1-0 game, but we were in it until the end of the game.

Game 2 (a 3-1 win), we played extremely well. It was one of our better games of the season.

Game 3 was probably the best first period we've had all year but we were down 2-0. The shots were probably 22-5. We just dominated, but couldn't score. We played outstanding. Then they got some power plays, got some momentum and they took the game away from us. They're a good team, but for two periods we played really well and were down 2-0. I wasn't disappointed with how we played. I was disappointed with the third period and how we pushed back; we didn't do a good job of that.

Idaho's a good team, and they were three very good hockey games.

Also, because Disney on Ice is invading CBBA this week, the Reign will be practicing at Center Ice Arena the next two days beginning at 10 a.m.; both practices are open to the public.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 10:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It's official: Dusty Collins has moved on.

The center, who started the season with the Reign, signed his first American Hockey League contract over the weekend with the Manitoba Moose.

From the Winnipeg Sun web site:

Manitoba Moose forward Dusty Collins has a new contract and it's a break-through event for a player who's been with six teams in his two professional years.

Collins, 24, recently signed a full AHL deal for the rest of this season and 2009-10.

"It's a great opportunity; I'm really happy with the situation," Collins said after this morning's game-day skate at the MTS Centre. "It does put some sort of ease in the back of your mind but you don't get comfortable at all.

"This is nice. I've been around a few teams this year and it's a stepping stone for sure. Playing with an organization like this is pretty incredible."

The native of Gilbert, Ariz., played four seasons at Northern Michigan University. Earlier this season, he was with the ECHL's Ontario Reign but it was when Collins scored for the AHL's Manchester Monarchs against the Moose here in December that he really got noticed.

When the Monarchs dropped him from their roster, the Moose -- who really liked his size and determination -- were quick to call and he was in the Manitoba lineup on a try-out by late January.

Since then, Collins has six goals in 27 games, including two in the last five.

Collins knows firsthand how common it is to bounce from team to team, but he said players never tend to worry too much that the odds are usually stacked against them sticking with a team.

"I don't think you put too much time or thought into that," he said. "It's just one of those things where you're taking it a day at a time."

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 5:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Reign will play one fewer team during the 2009-10 regular season than it did this year. The ECHL announced that the Phoenix Roadrunners would cease operations at the conclusion of the season.

Two other teams in the American Conference, the Mississippi Sea Wolves and the Dayton Bombers, will suspend operations after this season.

The Pacific Division will feature the same four teams that it did this season (Reign, Wranglers, Condors, Thunder) and the West Division will have the same four teams sans Phoenix (Aces, Grizzlies, Steelheads, Salmon Kings). Doing the quick math, that's eight teams, including the Reign, in the National Conference and 11 teams in the American Conference for next season.

Since teams don't play out-of-conference games during the regular season, the Reign will get comfy and cozy with seven teams next season. They played nine different teams this season. Such is the economy.

Also at the meeting, the Board approved CBBA to host the 2010 All-Star game. This had already been decided; the Board's approval was a formality.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 6:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

With the Pacific Division title locked up, as well as the home-ice advantage that comes with it for the first two playoff rounds, only a first-round opponent remains in question for the Reign. The Phoenix Roadrunners (who occupy last place in the West division) have just a miniscule chance of unseating Bakersfield, Las Vegas or Stockton. So among those three teams, who would you want the Reign to play?

Is it Bakersfield, where the Reign opened their season with a victory, and where they'll finish the regular season Friday and Saturday? The Reign are 6-3 against the fastbreak-happy Condors, the Ducks' ECHL affiliate.

Is it Las Vegas, which injected some tension into the rivalry by attacking Reign captain Jon Francisco during a last-second brawl March 22? The Reign are 7-3 against the Wranglers, who will play without the Ferraro twins, Chris (broken leg) and Peter (suspended).

Or is it Stockton, which started slow, got hot after adding some former Fresno Falcons, struggled toward the end of the season, but still managed to shut out the Reign in the teams' last game? The Reign finished 6-4 against the Thunder.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 12:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

The playoff-bound Reign are still seeking some sort of momentum after a 6-0 loss to the Idaho Steelheads on Saturday.

The loss, the Reign's seventh in their past nine games, was their second to the Steelheads in their three-game series at Qwest Arena in Boise. The Reign have six days off before their next game Friday in Bakersfield. After back-to-back contests against the Condors, they'll have another six days off before the opening round of the Kelly Cup playoffs begin at Citizens Business Bank Arena on April 10.

That should provide ample time to erase memories of this loss, in which Idaho goaltender Matt Climie shut out the Reign for the second time this week. Climie made 26 saves and Jeff Zatkoff, starting on back-to-back nights for the Reign, stopped 43 of the 49 shots he faced.

The official scoresheet is here.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 9:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Jeff Zatkoff stopped 34 of 35 shots, Bud Holloway, Denny Johnston and Jon Rheault scored goals, and the Reign (36-28-3-2) evened the three game series 1-1.

Marty Flichel scored during a 5-on-3 advantage to give the Steelheads (40-22-2-2) an early 1-0 lead, before the Reign defense clamped down and denied seven of Idaho's eight power-play chances. The series concludes today, with the rubber match scheduled for 6:10 p.m.

Todd Jackson returned to the Reign after spending more than a month on injured reserve, and assisted on Holloway's game-tying goal in the second period. Your official scoresheet is here.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 9:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Reign have announced their first-round playoff home game schedule at CBBA:

Game 1: Friday, April 10 vs. (opponent TBD)
Game 2: Saturday, April 11 vs. (opponent TBD)
Game 6: Tuesday, April 21 vs. (opponent TBD) (if necessary)
Game 7: Wednesday, April 22 vs. (opponent TBD) (if necessary)

The team also announced that seats on the glass are sold out for each first-round game, so your remaining options include:

Lower Center: Rnd 1 - $25; Rnd 2 - $25; Rnd 3 - $27; Rnd 4 - $30; Pkg - $428

Lower End: Rnd 1 - $23; Rnd 2 - $23; Rnd 3 - $25; Rnd 4 - $27; Pkg - $392

Upper Center: Rnd 1 - $19; Rnd 2 - $19; Rnd 3 - $21; Rnd 4 - $22; Pkg - $324

Upper End: Rnd 1 - $14; Rnd 2 - $14; Rnd 3 - $15; Rnd 4 - $16; Pkg - $236

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 7:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Itan Chavira became a repeat victim of diminishing roster space today, when the Southern California native was released by the Reign for the second time this season.

Chavira became expendable when speedy forward Todd Jackson was activated from injured reserve prior to tonight's game against the Idaho Steelheads in Boise. Chavira, a 5-foot-9 right wing, missed all of February with a lower-body injury, then was a healthy scratch in six of nine games since his return.

In 16 games for the Reign this season, Chavira had two goals and four assists, all of which came during an eight-game span in January.

Raised in Covina, the 21-year-old made the opening-day roster as a longshot out of the team's open tryouts, having played mostly roller hockey all his life. After appearing in one game during the season's first month, Chavira was released in November and briefly returned to roller hockey with a French professional team.

He rejoined an injury-depleted Reign squad in December and proceeded to play his best hockey of the year before suffering a lower-body injury on Jan. 30. Chavira remained a fan favorite after his return, but never quite regained his place on the power play following the addition of Bud Holloway and the emergence of Dale Reinhardt, a versatile but small forward with a similar skill set to Chavira's.

In other Reign news, forward Ryan MacGregor was placed on 3-day injured reserve, and forward Chris Curran was moved from 3-day IR to 7-day IR.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 4:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Updating my earlier post on Vegas' fight-filled game Tuesday against the Alaska Aces, it looks as if the Wranglers' Peter and Chris Ferraro aren't going to face the Reign (or any other team, for that matter) in the playoffs as a result.

Chris broke his left leg in the middle of a second-period brawl that resulted in the ejection of brother Peter, who was suspended for the remainder of the regular season and the playoffs by the ECHL on Friday.

Both are 36-year-old hockey lifers, and the career of Chris Ferraro is in doubt, the Las Vegas Journal Review reports. He was placed on 30-day injured reserve Thursday and his recovery is projected to take 6 to 8 weeks.

Peter Ferraro is escorted off the ice at the end of the sequence (it's up on YouTube here). Read the gamer in the Las Vegas Sun here.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 3:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

For all you die-hard ECHL fans out there, some Fresno Falcons jerseys from their final (half-)season are up for auction online until April 2. Take a look here but keep in mind that 1) it doesn't benefit charity, 2) the only benefit to you is a Fresno jersey and 3) the team may very well be reincarnated, at some time, in some league. Just FYI.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Reign kicked off their road trip to Boise with their sixth loss in their last seven games. At least this one was probably closer than the final score would indicate.

Jeff Zatkoff and Matt Climie were locked into a who-can-blink-first goalie duel until 12 minutes remained in the third period, when Idaho's Brent Shepheard notched his ninth goal of the season. Tallies by Tyler Shelast and Bryan MacGregor over the final 1:15 provided the final score.

Zatkoff (16-14-1-1) stopped 33 of 36 shots for the Reign, who put just 15 shots on net. They'll have opportunities to redeem themselves on Friday and Saturday. The Steelheads have won three straight. Your official scoresheet is here.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 8:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

With Las Vegas' Steve Makway serving the first of his two-game suspension, earned at the end of Sunday's game in Ontario, the Wranglers didn't exactly need directions to the penalty box Tuesday night.

Vegas racked up 70 penalty minutes in their 5-3 loss to the Alaska Aces. That's far from the ECHL record (181), but noteworthy in that seven of them came with three seconds left in the game (sound familiar?) in a fight between Scott McCullough and Alaska's Brett Hemingway.

But wait, there's more. The Wranglers were hit with two game misconducts -- Peter Ferraro for spearing (he earned 19 total PIM), and Tim Spencer for kicking (among 25 PIM) on the same sequence at 2:45 of the second period. The incident, which featured a total of 65 PIM, is not on YouTube yet, but if it gets posted we'll have it here first.

After Sunday's incident, which saw Makway at the center of a multiplayer brawl that sent Jon Francisco to the trainer's table needing stitches, Karl Taylor went so far as to call it "bush league hockey" on the part of the Wranglers. They don't seem intent on changing that image.

3/26 update: Well, that didn't take long: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=308szk9pjSQ

The camera-holder (great quality, btw; we'll forgive your spelling of "wierd") jumps in a little late to catch the spearing and the kicking. You get a sense for the severity, however, by catching the Vegas goalie and trainer in the middle of the ruckus - as it continues. Enjoy.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 12:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The ECHL suspended Las Vegas Wranglers defenseman Steve Makway two games today for his role in the game-ending melee at Citizens Business Bank Arena on Sunday. Makway will miss games tonight and Friday against the Alaska Aces.

Makway was central to the brawl that negated Jon Rheault's third goal of the game and sent Jon Francisco into the locker room needing stitches.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 5:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Doug Spooner's 10-day amateur tryout agreement expired yesterday with the Reign, and the rookie out of the University of Waterloo didn't sign a standard ECHL player contract.

However, coach Karl Taylor said he has applied for the necessary immigration paperwork to allow Spooner (and rookie goaltender Linden Rowat) to be employed in the U.S., which suggests that contracts could be in their future. Even if that's not the case, it's a positive step for a couple young guys looking to take the next step in their career.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 10:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Reign saved the best for last, beating Las Vegas 3-1 in their final regular-season home game to clinch a Kelly Cup playoff berth. Jon Rheault scored two goals, Jeff Zatkoff stopped 28 shots and Colton Teubert laid some big hits and picked up his first professional assist. 

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 7:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The playoffs will have to wait again, as the Roadrunners scored the game's final four goals and spoiled Linden Rowat's Reign debut.

The stars were aligned quite well for a celebration: The Reign were wearing special camouflaged uniforms in honor of Military Appreciation Night; it was Jon Francisco's 200th professional game; the announced attendance of 9,644 was 15 shy of a CBBA record; and, just for good measure, it was Karl Taylor bobblehead night.

More than that, the Reign came out looking motivated to win one for Rowat. They outshot Phoenix 13-2 through the game's first 15 minutes, and only a fine effort by former NHL netminder Chris Beckford-Tseu (who had to switch helmets at midgame) kept the game scoreless through one period.

Bud Holloway and Mike Howe took advantage of a pair of rebounds early in the second to give the Reign a 2-0 lead. But the game seemed to turn just before intermission, when a "non-call" on a collision that sent Jon Francisco to his knees, bleeding, led to a Roadrunners goal with 13.9 left. The Roadrunners went on to score three more in the final period, when the Reign were a frustrating 0-for-3 on the power play and allowed a short-handed goal with 4:20 left.

More details in tomorrow's editions; official scoresheet is here.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 9:26 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The bad news is in the final score.

The good news? By virtue of the Phoenix Roadrunners' 4-3 shootout loss to the Alaska Aces, the Reign now need only one point tonight against the Roadrunners -- a shootout loss, overtime loss, or win will do -- to clinch at Citizens Business Bank Arena.

The Reign kept it close early against the Wranglers, who now trail the Reign by five points for first place in the ECHL's Pacific Division.

Brad Mehalko's eighth goal of the season, at 9:39 of the first period, forged a 1-1 tie that held until intermission. But the Wranglers broke through for three goals in the second period, including two on back-to-back shots on Jeff Zatkoff 15 seconds apart to make it 4-1.

Dale Reinhardt's 11th goal of the season, off a feed from Geoff Walker behind the net, made it 4-2 with 4:33 left in the third. But Las Vegas' Kelly Czuy scored with 2:15 to play to dash any comeback hopes for the Reign.

Zatkoff stopped 20 of 25 shots in taking the loss, and Glenn Fisher stopped 25 of 27 for Vegas, after losing a 177-minute shutout streak on Mehalko's goal. Fisher was also the ECHL's goaltender of the week last week.

Defenseman Colten Teubert, the 13th overall draft pick by the Kings in 2008, made his debut for the Reign, wearing Ryan Bowness' #21. He was paired with veteran Chad Starling (who took him out to lunch in Vegas after finding out they'd be paired together).

Itan Chavira and Mike Howe were scratches. Official scoresheet here.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 10:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Colten Teubert, the 13th player selected in last year's NHL draft, will be added to the Reign roster today. The Reign play the Las Vegas Wranglers at Orleans Arena at 7:30 p.m. tonight.

Teubert, a 6-4 defenseman, registered 12 goals, 37 points and 136 penalty minutes in 60 games for the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League in the 2008-09 season which ended Saturday.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 1:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Linden Rowat finished his Western Hockey League season Saturday, grabbed a plane and touched down in Ontario at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, and four hours later was wearing a Reign jersey for the first time.

"I went straight to the hotel, unpacked, tried to get some shut-eye before the game," the 19-year-old goaltender said after Thursday's optional practice at Citizens Business Bank Arena.

The Kings' fifth-round draft pick from 2007, Rowat also passed his first test on the hot seat after practice:

On his opportunity with the Reign:
"I'm really excited about it. It's a higher level of play from the Western Hockey League and it gives me a chance to show that I can play at this level and earn a contract with the L.A. Kings."

Any nerves making the leap to the ECHL?
Of course I'm nervous, but just take it like any other game, make sure I'm mentally prepared and I'm sure with the solid defense that the Reign are known for, that we can play some good hockey.

Familiar with any of your new teammates?
I know Bud Holloway from L.A. Kings camp. Colten Teubert, who will be here tomorrow, I played with him for three years in Regina. I played with Tim Kraus last year in Regina when he was a 20-year-old. It's always good to know a few people before you come into a situation like this.

What do you know about the Reign?
From what I've been told, they're a tight-knit defensive team. They rely heavily on that. (Jeff Zatkoff) has played well for them this year -- he's got a lot of wins for them. I'm pretty much stepping into a new situation. I don't know a lot about them.

On his season with the WHL's Regina Pats:
It was really up and down. Before Christmas we had 18 wins and 10 losses. Then once we lost Teubert and (Jordan) Eberle to World Juniors, we went on a losing streak. We never recovered throughout the whole season and even when they got back, we weren't able to. I would have liked to have been able to get us back on track, but we had a terrible end to the year; only eight wins in the new year. It's not the way I wanted to end my 19-year-old season.

On his goaltending style:
Butterfly goalie. The things I've been learning lately from Bill Ranford of the Kings organization is to be more patient on my feet, react to pucks more than blocking them. That's basically it.

On his goals for his time with the Reign:
Hopefully I win the games I start. I know it'll be tough, stepping into a different level of play, but I feel like I'm capable of it. I just want to learn as much as I can from the guys here, be a professional. It's going to be a different lifestyle here, living in hotels and apartments, taking care of yourself. It's a huge learning experience. I'm just going to absorb everything I can from everybody. ... Some guys are married and have kids. It's a different age group from 16 to 20 year olds. But yeah, it's great. It seems like there's a lot of leaders, a lot of guys who speak up in the dressing room.

Do you think you can make the leap to the ECHL or AHL next year?
I think definitely I can play in the East Coast League next year. It's just that I've got to work really hard while I'm here, make sure I have a really good summer -- get stronger and quicker -- and come here, come to the camp to battle for a spot.

On Colten Teubert:
He's a stay at home defenseman for the most part. He's a real hard-nosed guy. He's a tough player, hits you hard, battles hard, and not scared to drop the gloves. I don't think I've ever seen him lose a fight.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 3:45 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The playoff party was put on hold at the Bank, as Stockton goalie Andrew Perugini was on his game, and the Reign forecheck was not.

Craig Valette, Cleve Kinley and James Bates did all the scoring, and the Thunder went 2-for-7 on the power play. Jeff Zatkoff (15-12-1-1) did about the best he could against 46 shots on goal -- four shy of the most the Reign have allowed in their inaugural season.

The good news: One win in their last eight games, and the Reign are in the playoffs.

Speaking of inaugural seasons, check out the "2008-09 INAUGURAL SEASON" banner hanging from the east rafters. It appeared tonight without any introduction, and is about 65 games late, but looks plenty classy and is full of indecipherable black-on-white handwriting. Let me know if you signed it, and what it says.

Rookie Doug Spooner made his CBBA debut and blended almost seamlessly into the lineup, flashing plenty of hustle for his size (6-3, 225). Karl Taylor said he didn't get to play Spooner as much as he would have liked, because his side was so short-handed all night.

Goalie Linden Rowat also made his debut on the bench after dressing for the game as Zatkoff's backup. A fifth-round draft choice by the Kings in 2007, Rowat just completed his Juniors season with the Regina Pats.

More details in tomorrow's editions. Your official scoresheet is here.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 9:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Phoenix Roadrunners lost to the Las Vegas Wranglers, 1-0 on Tuesday night, meaning the Reign can clinch a playoff berth with their next win. The first chance comes tomorrow at home against Stockton.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 9:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Defenseman Colten Teubert and goaltender Linden Rowat, who have just completed their WHL seasons with the Regina Pats, are coming to the Reign.

From http://kings.nhl.com/team/app?articleid=411992&page=NewsPage&service=page:

In other Kings prospect news, 19-year old defenseman Colten Teubert and goaltender Linden Rowat have finished the Regina Pats WHL season and are moving to the Kings ECHL affiliate Ontario Reign. Teubert, the Kings first round pick (11th overall) of last year's NHL Entry Draft, had a good showing his last week in Juniors, tallying three assists in three games to finish his season in Regina with 37 points (12-25=37) in 60 games. In 48 games with Regina, Rowat posted a 19-24-4 record, including a 3.07 GAA, .901 save percentage and two shutouts.

"It is a great opportunity for both of them. The fact that they get to go to Ontario and play for Karl [Taylor] and join our system to get their feet wet at the pro level, it is very exciting for him. They have got to be very excited at the opportunity. They are coming right out of their junior teams and stepping into the pro environment, so they will learn all of the little things about how to handle themselves and act in the pro environment.

"We are excited about the opportunity that they will have."

No word yet on when they will arrive, but neither was at practice this morning. Rowat is a 2007 fifth-round pick by the Kings.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 5:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 1:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

...in tomorrow morning's editions. Sorry for the tease.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 10:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Local boy (Chino Hills, Riverside) David Gilliland, explains his unlikely last-minute partnership with TRG Motorsports to SceneDaily.com today. Check it out here.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 11:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Jon Rheault scored on a second-period power play to tie it, and the Salmon Kings scored twice in the final five minutes -- including an empty-net goal -- to provide the final score. The Reign leave Canada with a 1-2-0-1 record in the four-game series, three points out of a possible eight.

Jeff Zatkoff made 34 saves in his 10th straight start. Official scoresheet is here.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 5:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

This one had to sting: The Victoria Salmon Kings scored the game-tying goal with 11 seconds left in regulation, then pulled out a 4-3 win in a shootout.

Goaltender Jeff Zatkoff stopped 44 of the 47 shots he faced between regulation and overtime, but couldn't quite withstand a third-period barrage that saw the Salmon Kings (33-24-2-4) outshoot the Reign (35-23-3-2) 21-6.
In the shootout, Victoria was a perfect 3-for-3, but the Reign couldn't put one past netminder Julien Ellis. The teams conclude their four-game series tonight at the Save-On Foods Memorial Center.
Geoff Walker scored a power-play goal in the first period, and Bud Holloway and Ryan MacGregor tallied goals in the third to give the Reign a 3-2 lead. They survived a brief 5-on-3 disadvantage with three minutes left in the game, but Victoria's Aaron Brocklehurst scored past Zatkoff to tie the game 3-3 and send it to overtime.
Official scoresheet is here.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 9:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Tehcnically, the Reign didn't make a trade on Friday, the final day to complete trades in the ECHL. They still made a roster move that paid immediate dividends, as forward Doug Spooner scored a goal in his first professional game in the Reign's 4-3 victory over the Victoria Salmon Kings.

Bud Holloway scored twice, and almost had his second hat trick of the season before his goal at 14:59 of the first was re-credited to Jon Rheault at midgame. Dale Reinhardt, on a line with Holloway and Rheault as Jon Francisco served a one-game suspension, stepped up with three assists. Jeff Zatkoff stopped 40 of 43 shots and was impressive enough to earn the third star of the game up there at the Save-On Foods Memorial Center.

Spooner, a 6-3, 200-pound forward out of the University of Waterloo, played his final collegiate game Feb. 14, 2008, scoring the lone goal in a 1-0 win over the University of Windsor. Hockeydb.com, usually a veritable font of hockey statistics, doesn't list Spooner as having played anywhere since then. So as far as we can tell, this was his first professional game. Welcome to the ECHL.

Since Spooner's college career began in 2004, he figures to have been recruited by Karl Taylor, who coached Waterloo from 2003-05. As a senior, Spooner led the Warriors with 17 goals in 28 games. Spooner was skating on a line with Geoff Walker and Tim Kraus on Friday when he scored at 9:51 of the first period to make it 2-1.

The Reign won with just 14 skaters (nine forwards, five defensemen). Itan Chavira and Mike Howe were scratches. Francisco is eligible to return tomorrow. The official scoresheet is here.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 9:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In his first game with the Toronto Marlies, former Reign defenseman Andrew Martens made a good impression. From http://www.nhl.com/ice/news.htm?id=413781:

ROCHESTER, N.Y. - Andrew Martens' first career American Hockey League goal was the game winner in the Toronto Marlies' 4-2 victory over the Rochester Americans on Friday night.

Martens, who spent the previous four seasons in the ECHL, beat Americans netminder Mike Brodeur with two minutes left in the second period to give the Marlies (33-26-2-5) a 3-1 lead.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 8:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Reign will play without Jon Francisco tomorrow night in Victoria, as the ECHL announced the captain will be suspended for the game and fined an undisclosed amount of money for high-sticking the Salmon Kings' Darryl Lloyd last night.

The infraction occurred at at 8:45 of the third period, and immediately fetched a match penalty and a five-minute major. As described by Cleve Dheensaw of the Victoria Times Colonist, "Darryl Lloyd was his usual spinning, clanging, banging self. Jon Francisco of Ontario retaliated with a high stick on Lloyd."

The official ECHL release notes that "under the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the ECHL and the Professional Hockey Players' Association, player fines collected by the ECHL are given to the PHPA for its ECHL Player's Hardship Fund."

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 1:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Just caught this tidbit in yesterday's Victoria (B.C.) Times Colonist.

Always nice to get an outsider's take on what's happening at The Bank:

And this week's opponent isn't the same Reign team -- owned by the

parent Los Angeles Kings -- that Victoria swept in a two-game set in January at the Memorial Centre. The Reign at that time were beset by injuries and had several players called up to the AHL. Most of those players are back, including touted Kings draft picks Jeff Zatkoff in goal and Bud Holloway on wing.

"They play a defensive system and take advantage of their opportunities," said Morrison. "They are a very disciplined team, much like Vegas, and are tough to play against. We've had very tight games with them. In many ways, in their first season of operation, they have been the surprise of the league. Karl Taylor has done a tremendous job there. They are for real and will be a factor in the playoffs, as well."

The Reign have been a hit in the burgeoning area known as the Inland Empire of Southern California and drew 9,659 fans on Saturday for their 7-3 win over Bakersfield.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 11:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The ECHL trade deadline is noon Friday. Several trades have been completed today, none involving the Reign, and the league released what one might call an "infobulletin" about the deadline.

From http://echl.com/cgi-bin/mpublic.cgi?action=show_news2&cat=1&id=18159:

The following was prepared to provide a better understanding of the process.

How Is A Trade Made?

After two clubs have come to an agreement on a trade, the clubs must advise the League office, via an official trade form that has been signed by both clubs, of the terms of the trade. The League office then schedules a conference call with the two teams to review the transaction and give final approval for the deal. On the trade call, the League will review the terms of the player contracts and ensure that teams are aware of their respective obligations to the player(s) involved and that any conditions to consummation of the transaction have been clearly defined and agreed upon. The trade becomes official after each team has signed and returned the trade agreement form to the League office.

Can A Trade Take Place After 3 p.m. ET On Friday?

Trade calls may take place after the 3 p.m. deadline, but the League must have received the official trade form by 3 p.m. It is not unusual that a number of trades are agreed to between the clubs just before 3 p.m. However, due to the volume of trades occurring just prior to the deadline, the League may not be able to conduct the actual trade call until after 3 p.m. Trade calls may last anywhere from 10-30 minutes depending on the complexity of the deal.

How Are Trades Announced?

Once a trade has been approved and the players in the transaction have been notified, the teams involved mutually agree upon a time to make the official announcement.

The educated guess is that few moves, if any, are in store for the Reign. On paper, a backup goaltender and seventh defenseman might be nice, but Kellen Briggs and either Andrew Martens or P.J. Atherton, repsectively, could fill those roles if they ever return from the AHL.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 11:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Reign allow a whopping 50 shots on goal, 41 of which Jeff Zatkoff stopped, as their two-game winning streak was snapped in a big way. They allowed two power play goals (out of five penalty kills), and even a short-handed goal late in the first period.

Brad Mehalko scored twice, and Bud Holloway and David Walker scored the other goals for the Reign (34-23-3-1). Chad Starling's assist on Mehalko's second goal was the 100th point of his ECHL career.

The real undoing came during a 2:45 span of the middle period when Victoria scored three times on Zatkoff. Dan Knapp had the worst stat line of any Reign skater: no goals, no assists, minus-5, two penalty minutes. Sounds like a tough day all around, but they get three more chances (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) to turn it around before heading back home.

Official scoresheet here.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 1:44 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Reign announced earlier today that they are accepting season ticket renewals and new orders for the 2009-2010 season. Click here for more details.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 10:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Check out tomorrow's notebook to get Kings assistant GM Ron Hextall's thoughts on the two Kings players assigned to the Reign, goalie Jeff Zatkoff and forward Bud Holloway. Here's the rest of the interview that won't make it in the paper:

On Jon Quick's learning curve: "My feeling was that, if it was right for Quicker, he wouldn't be up at least until next year. But we got in a bit of a jam, needed a goalie, he's playing well down below, we bring him up and he continues to play well. It's like, 'OK we fast tracked him a little.' He got a lot of attention from Bill Ranford and he has matured quickly. I remember seeing him in college a couple years ago, he's come a long ways. In a perfect world you really want to leave your guys down till they're really ready to play and in some cases, until they're ready to take the number one job. You sit him on the bench, play 15 or 20 games, I don't agree with that. I'd rather have him in the minors playing 60 games."

On Jeff Zatkoff's progress: "With Jeff being here, unfortunately he got hurt and it cost him a pretty good chunk of the season, but we want him to play as much as possible. That was exactly the thinking. We had Danny Taylor come up to Manchester from Reading. We want Bernier to play a lot, and we wanted Zats to play a lot. That was the thought process behind bringing Jeff back. He could play in the American League at this point, but I don't know how many games he'd play. I'd rather have him playing at this level like Quicker did last year."

Holloway? Bud actually played pretty well in Manchester. It just got to a point where the lineup was so deep there, he just couldn't find any ice time. I'm impressed with the way he's working tonight. In all the big situations with the best players it's dependent on the score. It'll accelerate him so hopefully he can get back to the American League and jump on to the second line. It's not unlike taking two steps up, as opposed to taking one and then another. Some players aren't as physically mature as others, it's better to take the one step, and that's certainly the case with him.

On Karl Taylor's work in Ontario: "I think Karl's done a great job. He's a very good hockey man. I got to know him over the last couple years in Reading there. I think he believes in similar things that we do. He likes a gritty team, likes a hard working team, and I don't know if there's a more hard working person in hockey than Karl Taylor. He emulates what we believe in, and his team emulates him. We're very happy with the job he's done.

On the advantages moving the ECHL team to Ontario has presented the organization: "Obviously it's easier to get here -- Bill Ranford, our goalie coach, it's much easier for him to get here than Reading. You've got Manchester to Reading, that's a trip, but for Billy to go from L.A. to Ontario, it's really easy. Reading was a good affiliate, it's a good franchise as well. It's not too far from Manchester, so we had access via car if we needed a player up, but this is a pretty sweet situation for us."

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 9:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Remember Dusty Collins?

He played 24 games for the Reign to start the season, but worked his way up to the American Hockey League and has apparently stuck with the Manitoba Moose, the Vancouver Canucks' AHL affiliate. An article today in the Winnipeg Sun details how.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 2:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

After last night's goal-fest, a typical Reign game: Not a lot of scoring, but just enough to win, and a fine goaltending performance from Jeff Zatkoff.

After Stockton's Mark Adamek tied it 3:43 into the final period, Bud Holloway notched his eighth ECHL goal at 9:33 for the game-winner. Dale Reinhardt scored his 10th of the season in the second period, and Zatkoff stopped 36 of 37 shots.

Official scoresheet is here.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 6:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The game-worn jerseys (plus those of P.J. Atherton, Chris Curran, Itan Chavira and Kellen Briggs) fetched a grand total of $42,400 in a postgame auction to benefit the Frontier Project at CBBA.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 6:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

About 12 hours ago, 9,659 hockey fans filed into CBBA. They might still be filing out. Turns out the Inland Empire knows a good hockey game coming when they see one: The Reign matched their season high of seven goals (from seven different players) and nearly recorded their largest margin of victory, before a third-period Bakersfield goal ruined all sorts of biggest-crowd-witnesses-biggest-win analogies.

Bakesfield is, much like the Utah team that left with a 5-1 win Friday, a fastbreak team. That meant a couple early goals allowed, and a couple more prevented only by stout goaltending from Jeff Zatkoff.

What looked like it could have been a close game at 2-1, was shattered 26 seconds later when Chad Starling (of all people), wound up and shot past Condors goalie David McKee at 11:47 of the second period. It was the second goal of the year for the shaggy-haired defenseman who said earlier Saturday he hasn't gotten a haircut since November.

What followed were goals by Jon Rheault, Denny Johnston, Tim Kraus, Andrew Martens and Mike Howe before the Condors would score again. I thought the Ryan MacGregor-Tim Kraus-Geoff Walker line was the best on the ice to start, then Jon Rheault-Jon Francisco-Bud Holloway asserted itself with more scoring chances late. But again, seven different players scored. Zatkoff (21 shots, 18 saves) actually was far from his best. But in sharp contrast to the Utah game, the Reign defense treated every puck off his pads like their firstborn child -- not to be given away.

Also:
• Big ups to the designer of the Reign's kelly-green uniforms. I couldn't quite tell you what uniform they looked like; the best analogue would be an all-green Hartford Whalers jersey with a Reign logo slapped on.
• Bad news for Chris Curran. One of his wrists was wrapped up at the morning skate Saturday, in what looked like a permanent cast, the result of an injury against Utah. He's expected to go on IR today and Itan Chavira is likely to come off.
• Kings GM Ron Hextall was at the game, his first. Catch his thoughts on Jeff Zatkoff, Bud Holloway and more in Tuesday's notebook.
• The team bus departed for Stockton immediately after the game. As they departed the arena, those green unis were still being auctioned off to fans.

More details in tomorrow's editions; official scoresheet is here.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 6:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Five times the Reign have played the Utah Grizzlies, and five times the game has been decided by a single goal -- including once in overtime and once in a shootout. So what happened Friday at the Bank? Good question.

Coach Taylor said it was a case of a team playing like they're "afraid to be great." You could say that's what it looked like; the Reign outshot Utah 32-23 but were content to score on just one, when Tim Kraus somehow threaded the inside of a well-guarded goalpost on a second-period power play.

Meantime on the defensive end, the Reign allowed Utah to collect rebound after rebound off the goalie pads. It's tough to see the look in Jeff Zatkoff's eyes from the press box, but "deer in the headlights" was probably an appropriate descriptor. For a defensive-oriented team, it was a poor showing.

Said Taylor, "we sucked." (That's not going in the paper.)

Official scoresheet here.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 10:16 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

1. Defenseman P.J. Atherton has been recalled by Grand Rapids (AHL), leaving the Reign with six defensemen for tonight's game against Utah.

2. Only a couple hundred tickets remain for tomorrow night's game against Bakersfield. It could be the first Reign sellout in Citizens Business Bank Arena history.

3. Captain Jon Francisco is off 7-day injured reserve and back in the lineup.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 6:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Portland Pirates goaltender Jeff Jakaitis, not Kellen Briggs, is coming back to the ECHL, as previously speculated. One or the other figured to be demoted when Jhonas Enroth returned to Portland from Buffalo. So for now, the Reign have one goalie (Jeff Zatkoff) going forward after the NHL trade deadline. We'll let you know if that changes.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 4:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Yes, says research done by the Edmonton Journal and Vancouver researcher Will Lockwood, published earlier this week in the journal. Check it out here.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 11:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

With the NHL trade deadline having passed at noon, it's time to gauge how the consummated deals might affect the Reign. Two players signed by the Reign -- center Dusty Collins and goalie Kellen Briggs -- are playing in the AHL, and both of those teams' parent clubs made moves Wednesday.

Collins is currently playing for the Manitoba Moose; their NHL affiliate, the Vancouver Canucks, waived a defenseman (Lawrence Nycholat) who was headed to Manitoba before the Calgary Flames plucked him off waivers Wednesday. More relevant to Collins' fate is the health of Moose forwards Mark Cullen and Michel Ouellet, both of whom are expected to return from shoulder injuries in mid-March. Collins has four goals and an assist in 17 games for Manitoba.

The news was more interesting for Briggs, who is playing for the Portland Pirates, the Buffalo Sabres' AHL affiliate.

Already holding two goalies (Patrick Lalime and Jhonas Enroth) on their roster, the Sabres acquired Phoenix Coyotes goaltender Mikael Tellqvist in exchange for a future draft pick Wednesday. Enroth, who was recalled to back up Lalime on Feb. 23, is likely headed back to Portland before the Sabres' next game Friday night. Enroth is considered a legitimate prospect, and he's under contract to Buffalo through 2011. So he's probably not going to be placed on waivers.

When Enroth gets back to Portland, he will join Briggs and Jeff Jakaitis, another former ECHL goalie in the AHL on a pro tryout contract. Briggs has started three of the Pirates' four games since his recall, going 2-1 with a solid 2.00 goals-against average and .930 save percentage. Jakaitis started the other game (an OT loss), likely because it was the first night of back-to-backs. Briggs has started more games and has the better stats, so it would be a surprise if Jakaitis remains and Briggs is sent back to Ontario over the next two days.

The situation will be complicated further, however, when Buffalo's number one netminder Ryan Miller returns from his high ankle sprain, giving the Sabres three NHL goalies. There is no timetable for Miller's return, and no guarantee that either Tellqvist or Lalime would wind up in Portland when he does.

Both Briggs' and Collins' situations will be resolved sooner or later in the month of March. The guess here is later.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 9:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From ontarioreign.com:

The Ontario Reign announced that they are hosting a sports and entertainment job fair on Friday, March 6 from 2:00-5:00 p.m. at Citizens Business Bank Arena.

Top executives from leading sports and entertainment organizations around Southern California will be in attendance. Participants scheduled to appear include, but are not limited to: AEG World Wide, Citizens Business Bank Arena, Los Angeles Clippers, Auto Club Speedway, Los Angeles Dodgers, Los Angeles Kings, Los Angeles Galaxy, Chivas USA, Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, Inland Empire 66ers, and the OC Flyers.

There is a $10 event registration fee, and pre-registration is required (by the close of business Friday, March 5). Please contact Greg Mejia at (909)941-7838 (office), (909)204-5555 (fax), or gmejia@ontarioreign.com to register or for more information. The price of pre-registration also includes a ticket to the Reign game versus the Utah Grizzlies on the same night! The puck drops at 7:00 p.m. B.J.'s Restaurant on 4th Street is offering 15% off to job fair attendees (ticket MUST be presented for discount).

Attendees should bring multiple copies of their résumé.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 6:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Tim Kraus netted his 12th goal of the season to send the game into overtime, then scored (along with Bud Holloway) in the shootout to provide the win.

Geoff Walker had a goal and an assist, P.J. Atherton and Chris Curran also scored goals, and Jeff Zatkoff stopped 21 of 25 shots, including a perfect 4-for-4 in the shootout.

The win extended the Reign's lead to nine points over second-place Las Vegas in the ECHL Pacific Division. It also matched Victoria for the second-best point total in the league (68).

Official scoresheet here.

Posted by J.P. Hoornstra at 1:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)