Tag Archives: Center Ice Arena

Reign back at home.

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The Reign practiced at Citizens Business Bank Arena today for the first time all season. It’s good news for the players, especially those who haven’t seen the rink before, but bad news if you’re a fan who set aside your mornings to see the Reign practice at Center Ice Arena.

“It’s nice to not have to drive over to the practice rink every day,” forward Greg Hogeboom said. “It’s a beautiful facility; you don’t see these in Europe, that’s for sure.”

The Reign had to wait for a fresh sheet of ice to be laid following the Lakers’ exhibition game last Tuesday against the Golden State Warriors. The new sheet features the 2010 ECHL All-Star Game Logo at center ice and a few new sponsors embedded below the surface. …

Check out my story about Hogeboom in tomorrow’s editions. Everyone was on the ice today, save forward Jon Rheault, who was struck in the foot Saturday by a puck.

Reign: Matte, Leslie released.

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Forwards Brian Matte and Dan Leslie were released Monday morning, trimming the Reign’s training camp roster to 25.

“We have lots of guys that we feel are obviously better than them, that’s why we released them,” coach Karl Taylor said. “It’s hard when you get released or you don’t make a team, or you don’t get picked for something, you feel like it’s your own fault. There is some ownership there, but we have pretty high-level players in camp this year. 


“Both those guys would probably have made our team last year.”

Matte appeared in the Reign’s preseason opener Thursday night in Las Vegas, while Leslie’s only game action came a night later at Center Ice Arena. Both were kept off the scoresheet. Neither Matte, 21, nor Leslie, 23, have played in the ECHL before.

Reign 4, Las Vegas 3, shootout.

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Chad Starling scored the only goal in the shootout, and Mike Howe, Greg Hogeboom, Jon Rheault and Dwight King scored in regulation for the Reign at Center Ice Arena.

The game was back-and-forth, and the Reign showed more aggression (and discipline) than they did a night before in a 5-2 loss in Las Vegas.

Mike Zacharias made 28 saves in regulation and was perfect in overtime and the shootout.

For the second straight year, the Reign finished the preseason 1-1, winning their home game and losing on the road. More details in tomorrow’s editions.

Las Vegas 5, Reign 2

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Jon Francisco and Greg Hogeboom scored goals, but the Reign were outplayed on special teams and had a hard time controlling the zone in a 5-2 loss to the Las Vegas Wranglers at Orleans Arena. Curtis Darling made 35 saves in goal.

More details in tomorrow’s editions; the two teams will meet again at 7 p.m. Friday at Center Ice Arena.

Reign: Training camp, Day 3.

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The Reign, back on the ice Monday at Center Ice Arena for Day 3 of training camp, are starting to look ready for an actual game. In fact, two of them came to camp ready, Karl Taylor said.

“Dwight King and Mike Pelech have been in camp for several weeks now, so they’re way ahead of everybody based on their skating, their energy and the fact they’ve been in training camp for so long,” Taylor said. “A lot of our guys, this is their first camp and they’re just trying to catch up.”

Both forwards began the preseason with the Kings’ American Hockey League affiliate, and came to Ontario when they failed to make the Manchester Monarchs’ opening-day roster.

King, 20, was a fourth-round draft pick by the Kings in 2007 and signed his entry-level deal in May. Pelech, who turns 20 on Tuesday, was a sixth-round choice in 2009.

As for the rest of the group, Taylor said he might not have the luxury of letting all the players “on the bubble” play at least one preseason game before he begins making roster cuts. There are 27 in camp, and the active roster has to be down to 20 on opening day.

“I haven’t really given it much thought,” Taylor said. “We’re waiting for people to fall out. You’re starting to see a little bit of separation by day three or four. The old guys get their legs under them and start to catch up.”

Reign camp notes, Day 1.

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Here are some quick hits from this morning’s practice at Center Ice Arena. Look for more in tomorrow’s editions …

— The returning players we spotted on the ice: Jon Francisco, Jon Rheault, Todd Jackson, Mike Howe, Tim Kraus, Doug Spooner, Chris Curran, Shawn Germain, Chad Starling, Andrew Martens and David Walker.

— Twenty-three players were on the ice in total, including Curran, who doesn’t look like he’s been cleared for contact. Tony Voce, who spent the past two seasons in Europe following a promising start in the AHL, is also under contract but in an AHL camp. Geoff Walker is still in Manchester. Another three players were held out due to various injuries.

— Generally speaking, the team is bigger and in better shape than it was a year ago. All the returning players seem physically trim; combine that with a few haircuts (notably Chad Starling, Shawn Germain and Doug Spooner), and this is a team that should be flying up and down the ice.

— Huntington Beach native Cameron Cepek, a defenseman who was selected in the seventh round of the 2006 NHL draft by Montreal, was a late roster addition.

— The team has a full day of off-ice events planned for Saturday, including some time at the beach and at the Kings’ game against the Phoenix Coyotes.