Kyle Garcia 
While you may be enjoying your Easter Sunday, the LA Kings were busy making roster moves.
ROSTER: Forward Akil Thomas has been recalled by the @LAKings! Show them the real deal, Akil! #ReignTrain
📰 https://t.co/ebn995CsE5 pic.twitter.com/c3q23xVNza
— Ontario Reign (@ontarioreign) March 31, 2024
We have made the following roster moves:
▪️ F Akil Thomas has been recalled from the @ontarioreign
▪️ F Alex Turcotte has been placed on LTIR.Read More 📲 https://t.co/V65N213302@Enterprise | #GoKingsGo pic.twitter.com/tQwxHgUIgG
— LA Kings (@LAKings) March 31, 2024
Akil Thomas has been recalled to the Kings from the Ontario Reign, and in a corresponding move, the Kings also placed Alex Turcotte on long-term injured reserve, per the Kings and Reign.
Thomas, 24, has played in 61 games for the Reign and has recorded 22 goals and 21 assists for 43 points. All of those are career highs in the AHL for him. After battling with shoulder injuries for the last few years, Thomas has bounced back in a great way for the Reign and is being rewarded with his first NHL call-up this season.
SOMEONE CALL @espn AKIL THOMAS WITH THE SPIN-O-RAMA TO WIN IT IN OT!!#REIGNTRAIN pic.twitter.com/QIwhxRjYyQ
— Ontario Reign (@ontarioreign) March 23, 2024
He will wear jersey number 41.
Akil will wear #41 with us! #GoKingsGo https://t.co/E53lrIaqmf pic.twitter.com/sgEatkvakg
— LA Kings (@LAKings) March 31, 2024
A quote from Thomas that caught my attention was from 2019 (you can see that video on the Kings YouTube page HERE). Here is what he had to say:
“I’m really looking forward to playing my first NHL game, hopefully one day. And to play on the hockey team in one of the biggest cities in the world [Los Angeles] it be pretty surreal to me.” – Akil Thomas in 2019
Perhaps that dream comes tomorrow as the Kings take on the Winnipeg Jets. Congratulations, Thomas!
Featured image credit: Mike Zitek/Ontario Reign