Coming off of their second consecutive playoff appearance and a 34-32-5-1 record last season, the Ontario Reign return to the ice with a combination of elite veteran talent and prized prospects. With eight Kings draft picks on the opening night roster, the Reign will open their 2023-24 regular season at home on Friday evening at Toyota Arena against the San Diego Gulls, the AHL affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks.
Reign Head Coach Marco Sturm enters his second season as the team’s bench boss after four seasons as a Kings’ Assistant Coach and will look to improve on last season's sixth-placed finish in the Pacific Division. The Reign will be led by the presence of two-time AHL MVP TJ Tynan, who has put up 157 points (22-135=157) in 134 games with Reign over last two seasons, along with newcomer Charles Hudon, who has 134 career NHL games to his name and four seasons in the AHL with 50+ points.
Plenty of excitement revolves around the talented stable of Kings prospects and draft picks on the Reign, highlighted by a pair of first-round picks in Brandt Clarke (2021, eighth overall) and Alex Turcotte (2019, fifth overall). Clarke joins the Reign after a well-traveled 2022-23 season, having played nine games with the Kings, five more with the Reign, winning a gold medal with Team Canada at the 2023 World Junior Championships and putting up historical numbers in the OHL as team captain with the Barrie Colts. Meanwhile, a now healthy Turcotte enters the new season having spent the offseason training and not rehabbing. Turcotte, who had a strong training camp, has appeared in 12 games for the Kings and has 58 points (18-40=58) across three seasons with Ontario.
You can catch the Ontario Reign in action tonight at 7 PM for free on AHLTV. Free viewing is offered for all AHL games from October 13-15, which also included Sunday's matinee tilt, a rematch versus San Diego.
Below is the 2023-24 Ontario Reign Opening Night Roster:
