Ontario Reign: Three Stars of the Week 1/20 – 1/26

Another week has passed, and it’s time for our Three Stars of the Week honors for the Ontario Reign, who went 3-0-0 in three games. Before we name the three stars, let’s quickly recap the last week’s three games for the Reign.

6-1 victory over Calgary

The Reign entered this game on a four-game losing streak. After the Wranglers struck first to take a 1-0 lead with 3:25 to play in the first period, the Reign took over the game the rest of the way. Charles Hudon scored a power-play goal in the final minute of the opening frame, and Andre Lee (PPG), Taylor Ward, Tyler Madden, and Francesco Pinelli (SHG) found the back of the net in the second period to give the Reign a 5-1 lead. The Reign also outshot the Wranglers 18-9 in the frame. Samuel Fagemo scored his 21st of the year in the third to give the Reign a 6-1 lead, which would be the final score. Ontario had six different scorers and 12 players recorded a point, four having a multi-point game.

3-2 SO victory over Bakersfield

The Condors outshot the Reign early and took a 2-1 lead five minutes into the contest. Cameron Wright and Matthew Savoie found the scoresheet for Bakersfield, while Martin Chromiak snapped his 15-game goal drought for Ontario. From that point on, Ontario controlled play most of the way despite trailing 2-1 through 40 minutes. Madden tied the game at the 10:11 mark of the final frame, and the Reign’s penalty kill came up big, killing off a five-on-three for 1:54 with 6:36 to play. The game would require a shootout after neither team scored in overtime, and Glenn Gawdin would tally the lone goal in the skills competition while Erik Portillo denied all three shooters to give the Reign the victory.

3-0 victory over Coachella Valley

Ontario played a complete 60-minute team effort game in all three zones. From start to finish, the Reign played well. Pheonix Copley made 27 saves and goals from Ward, Jack Studnicka, and Jeff Malott (ENG) led the way in Ontario’s 3-0 victory.

Third star

Jack Millar

Stat line: Three games played, zero goals, three assists, three points, +5 rating, four shots on goal

Two other players could’ve made the list, but Jack Millar made the list as this week’s third star. Millar recorded an assist in each game and continues to play a vital role on the top pairing for the Reign. Millar was outstanding on the Reign’s five-on-three penalty kill against the Condors as he blocked a shot and broke up a pass with good stick placement to help keep the game tied late in the third period. The first-year defenseman is quietly putting together a good season for the Reign and leads the team in +/- with a +19 rating.

Second star

Charles Hudon

Stat line: Three games played, one goal, two assists, three points, +1 rating, five shots on goal

Since joining the team in the summer of 2023, Charles Hudon has continued to be a valuable player for the Reign. As of this moment, Hudon has 87 points in 91 games as a member of the Reign. Hudon was signed by the Reign to help with their scoring, but it was his assists that highlighted the week for him. The veteran forward picked up two primary assists in the Reign’s 3-0 victory over the Coachella Firebirds, reaching 200 career AHL assists. Hudon is now five goals away from 200 AHL goals and five points away from 400 AHL points in his career. That alone earned him this week’s second star.

First star

Pheonix Copley

Stat line: Two games played, one goal against, 46 saves on 47 shots faced, .979 save percentage, one shutout, 2-0-0-0 record

The Reign’s defense and goaltending were much better last week. Erik Portillo had a bounce-back game against the Condors, and Pheonix Copley was a brick wall in the net himself. Copley saw 47 shots and stopped 46 of them in his two games played. He earned his second shutout of the season in the Reign’s 3-0 victory over the Firebirds, making 27 saves. Getting the defense, Copley, and Portillo back on track last week after going 0-3-1-0 in the previous week was a must; they were great. The Reign will need them to carry over their great play this week against the Colorado Eagles and Tucson Roadrunners.

Featured image credit: Jon Huerta/Ontario Reign

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