Ontario Reign Open New Season With Unfinished Playoff Business
The Pacific Division champions return for Andrew Lord's second season after a five-game playoff loss to Coachella Valley.
The Ontario Reign begin the 2026-27 AHL season on Oct. 2 at the Coachella Valley Firebirds, the team that ended their previous playoff run. The clubs meet again one night later for Ontario's home opener at Toyota Arena.
Ontario finished 47-20-3-2 last season and won the Pacific Division for the first time since 2015-16. The Reign earned a first-round bye before losing a five-game division semifinal to Coachella Valley.
Andrew Lord returns for his second season as head coach. Ontario's 72-game schedule is concentrated in the Pacific Division and includes four games each against Abbotsford, Colorado, Milwaukee and Texas.
The Reign will again serve as a development hub for Los Angeles. Francesco Pinelli, Koehn Ziemmer, Cole Guttman and Jack Hughes are among the forwards highlighted in preseason coverage, while Jakub Dvorak and Otto Salin are young defensemen to watch.
Goaltender Carter George is set to make the transition from junior hockey to his first full professional season. He split 2025-26 between Owen Sound and Sault Ste. Marie, posting a 10-9-2 record with a 3.12 goals-against average and .899 save percentage in 22 games for Owen Sound, then going 13-8-3 with a 2.40 GAA and .913 save percentage in 24 games for Sault Ste. Marie.
George also went 4-0-0 in four games as Canada won bronze at the 2026 World Junior Championship. His progress will be one of Ontario's central development stories as the Reign try to turn a division title into a longer playoff run.
