GAMEDAY – Ontario vs. Stockton, 10/12

WHO: Ontario Reign (1-1-0-0) vs. Stockton Heat (0-1-1-0)
WHAT: AHL REGULAR SEASON GAME
WHEN: Friday, October 12, @ 7:00 PM
WHERE: Citizens Business Bank Arena – Ontario, CA
HOW TO FOLLOW: VIDEO: AHLTV – AUDIO – Mixlr – TWITTER: @ontarioreign & @reigninsider

TONIGHT’S MATCHUP: The Ontario Reign open the home portion of the 2018-19 regular season tonight with a divisional matchup against the Stockton Heat. Ontario and Stockton face off for the second time in six days, after the Reign skated to a thrilling 6-5 overtime win on Saturday in Northern California.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: Tonight’s game marks the beginning of Ontario’s home slate for the 2018-19 season. The Reign were one of the AHL’s strongest teams on home ice last season as they led the Pacific Division with a .647 winning percentage in Ontario, which was also the second highest mark in the Western Conference. In AHL franchise history, Ontario is 65-28-6-3 at Citizens Business Bank Arena, winning over 20 games in each of its three seasons. Cal Petersen was the first goaltender off tonight for the Reign while forwards Boko Imama and Jamie Devane, as well as defensemen Chaz Reddekopp and Austin Strand were on late after morning skate.

SIXTH SENSE: Ontario struck for six goals in its victory over Stockton on Saturday, its highest offensive output through two games. The Reign, who came back from three goals down in the first period to earn the victory, tallied six times after they scored six-or-more goals in a game four times last season. In franchise history, the Reign have scored 6+ goals ten times, including six times at Citizens Business Bank Arena.

FOR THE FIRST TIME: The Reign saw three players score their first career professional goals on Saturday in Stockton – Mikey Eyssimont, Daniel Brickley and Sheldon Rempal. Eyssimont got Ontario on the board early in the game, while Brickley tallied later in the opening period and Rempal tied the game midway through the middle stanza. Rempal was also the lone Reign player with a point in both contests over the weekend and totaled three points (1-2-3) from the pair of games.

BEST BRETTS: Ontario forward Brett Sutter collected a goal and two assists in the victory on Saturday. Sutter’s three points were one shy of matching an AHL career high of four, which he has totaled four times throughout his career. The Viking, Alberta native, who will wear the “C” for Ontario the second straight season, is now two games shy of the 750 mark for his AHL career.

MID DERM EXAM: Reign blueliner Kurtis MacDermid set an AHL career-high on Saturday in both assists and points as he tallied three helpers in the victory. MacDermid also posted a +4 rating, in addition to five penalty minutes. With the three assists, the 6-5 blueliner is tied for the AHL lead in helpers by a defenseman and his three points are tied for fifth. MacDermid is also two games shy of 150 for his Ontario Reign career and has played in the most games played by a defenseman in Reign franchise history.

OH-KEH: oGaltender Cole Kehler was re-assigned to the Reign from the ECHL’s Manchester Monarchs earlier this week, following Peter Budaj’s recall to the NHL. The 20-year-old Kehler has yet to make his professional debut after he signed an entry-level contract last season with Los Angeles. The 6-4 netminder spent the past two seasons in the WHL with Portland, where he compiled a 62-33-7 record with the Winterhawks.

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