The Ontario Reign had a bit of a down year in 2021, finishing 6th out of 7 teams in the AHL’s Pacific Division with a 17-19-4-0 record and a .475 points percentage. The dip in the standings could very well be due to the amount of rookies skating for Ontario last year, with first-year players like Quinton Byfield, Rasmus Kupari, Arthur Kaliyev, Akil Thomas, Samuel Fagemo, Tyler Madden, Alex Turcotte, and Aidan Dudas all chipping in for last year’s Reign club.
With these young, Black and Silver Bandits ready to reload in season two with Ontario (and maybe Los Angeles), Full Press Hockey breaks down the offseason transactions affecting the LA Kings’ AHL affiliate.
Follow along as players re-sign, come in from another team, or depart before the season kicks off in mid-October! Be sure to check out the rest of the offseason player trackers in the AHL Pacific Division below.
ADDITIONAL AHL PACIFIC DIVISION OFFSEASON PLAYER TRACKERS
- ABBOTSFORD CANUCKS
- BAKERSFIELD CONDORS
- COLORADO EAGLES
- HENDERSON SILVER KNIGHTS
- SAN DIEGO GULLS
- SAN JOSE BARRACUDA
- STOCKTON HEAT
- TUCSON ROADRUNNERS
(List accurate as of Tuesday, September 21st at 1:55pm PDT)
UNDER CONTRACT AND RE-SIGNINGS
Forwards
- Jaret Anderson-Dolan – Last year of entry-level contract
- Lias Andersson – Signed a one-year, two-way NHL contract (July 30)
- Jacob Doty – Re-signed to one-year AHL contract (June 23)
- Aiden Dudas – Second-to-last year of entry-level contract
- Samuel Fagemo – Second-to-last year of entry-level contract
- Martin Frk – Last year of standard player NHL contract
- Adam Johnson – Re-signed to one-year AHL contract (June 23)
- Arthur Kaliyev – First year of entry-level contract
- Rasmus Kupari – Second-to-last year of entry-level contract
- Tyler Madden – Second-to-last year of entry-level contract
- Johan Södergran – Last year of entry-level contract (played for Ontario in 2019-20; played with Almtuna IS in HockeyAllsvenskan in 2020-21)
- Brett Sutter – Re-signed to one-year AHL contract (June 23)
- Akil Thomas – Second-to-last year of entry-level contract
- Alex Turcotte – First year of entry-level contract
Defensemen
- Michael Anderson – Last year of entry-level contract
- Tobias Björnfot – Second-to-last year of entry-level contract
- Kale Clague – Signed a one-year, two-way NHL contract (August 6)
- Sean Durzi – Last year of entry-level contract
- Cameron Gaunce – Signed to a professional try-out with Los Angeles (September 16)
- Jacob Moverare – Signed a one-year, two-way NHL contract (August 13); extended qualifying offer (July 26)
- Markus Phillips – Last year of entry-level contract
- Jordan Spence – First year of entry-level contract (at age 20, qualifies for AHL, but listed as ‘Junior’ status on CapFriendly)
- Austin Strand – Signed a one-year, two-way NHL contract (August 5)
- Christian Wolanin – Re-signed a one-year, two-way NHL contract (July 6)
Goaltenders
- Jacob Ingham – Second-to-last year of entry-level contract
- Matt Villalta – Last year of entry-level contract
NEW ADDITIONS
Forwards
- Brayden Burke – Signing rights acquired via trade from Arizona (July 24); signed a one-year, two-way NHL contract (August 1)
- Brett Kemp – Signed a one-year AHL contract (July 30); played with Medicine Hat of the WHL in 2020-21
- Nikita Pavlychev – Signed a one-year AHL contract (July 30); played with Syracuse and ECHL Orlando in 2020-21
- Vladimir Tkachev – Signed a one-year, entry-level contract* (May 29); played with SKA St. Petersburg of the KHL in 2020-21
- T.J. Tynan – Signed a one-year, two-way NHL contract (July 28); played with AHL Colorado in 2020-21
Goaltenders
- Lukas Parik – Signed a one-year AHL contract (June 9); played with Dubuque of the USHL 2020-21
- John Lethemon – Signed a one-year AHL contract (July 30); played with ECHL Greenville in 2020-21
- Garret Sparks – Signed a one-year, two-way NHL contract (July 28); played with Stockton and ECHL Orlando in 2020-21
* – Contract includes European Assignment Clause, detailed in Article 11 – 11.19 of the NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement — “The SPC of any Player may contain a clause that provides that, in the event his NHL Club Loans the Player to a club outside the NHL, during the period of such Loan, the Player shall have the option to be Loaned to a club of his choice outside North America.”
DEPARTURES
Forwards
- Quinton Byfield – First year of entry-level contract (at age 18, may play with LA or back in the OHL for 2021-22)
- Blaine Byron – Signed with Eisbären Berlin of the DEL (August 23)
- Mikey Eyssimont – Signed a two-year, two-way NHL contract with Winnipeg (July 28)
- Bokondji Imama – Signing rights traded to Arizona (July 24); signed a one-year, two-way NHL contract with Arizona (August 6)
- Matt Luff – Signed a one-year, two-way NHL contract with Nashville (July 28)
- Drake Rymsha – Signed a one-year ECHL contract with Fort Wayne (September 8); not extended qualifying offer by Los Angeles (July 28)
- Tyler Steenbergen – Signing rights acquired via trade from Arizona (July 24); signed with TPS of Liiga (August 23)
Defensemen
- Mark Alt – Signed a one-year AHL contract with San Jose (August 2)
- Daniel Brickley – Signed a one-year AHL contract with the Chicago Wolves (September 1)
- Cole Hults – Traded to Arizona (July 24)
Goaltenders
- J-F Berube – Signed an NHL professional try-out with Columbus (September 21)
- Troy Grosenick – Signed a one-year, two-way NHL contract with Boston (July 28)
FREE AGENTS
Forwards
- Nicholas Halloran – UFA (AHL)
- Devante Smith-Pelly – UFA (AHL)
Defensemen
- Jack Sadek – UFA (AHL)
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(Special thanks to CapFriendly and Elite Prospects for all the contract terms and definitions for this offseason player tracker!)
