Empire Classic Returns to Ontario on 9/28 as Kings Host Ducks @ Toyota Arena

Another bit of preseason news, Insiders, as the 2023 exhibition schedule continues to take some shape.

The Kings will host the Anaheim Ducks in a preseason contest at Toyota Arena on Saturday, September 28 at 3 PM. The event will be the second edition of the Empire Classic in Ontario, following the launch of the initiative in 2022 when the Kings hosted the Sharks as a part of their exhibition slate.

“The Kings look forward to featuring Ontario and Toyota Arena as part of our 2024 NHL Preseason Schedule,” Kings President Luc Robitaille added. “The Inland Empire and the Ontario Reign are ideal hosts for the Kings and Ducks as both teams prepare for regular season action.”

Ontario has played host to the Kings’ AHL affiliate since 2015, when the club was relocated from Manchester, New Hampshire. The Kings previously affiliated with Ontario when the Reign were an ECHL club and Ontario regularly boasts some of the best crowds in the American Hockey League, ranking currently in the Top 10 in the league in average attendance.

LA’s development history has certainly run through Ontario, with several key members of the current Kings roster having been Reign alums.

The Kings’ leading scorer, Adrian Kempe, played parts of two seasons with the Reign from 2015-17, as he logged more than 100 games with the club before graduating to the NHL. His current linemate, Quinton Byfield, spent parts of three seasons playing in Ontario before he made the full-time jump to the NHL last winter. Top-four defensemen Mikey Anderson and Matt Roy both spent time with the Reign before becoming NHL regulars. In total, 12 players who have played games for the Kings this season have played AHL games with Ontario. It’s important to reward the market that helps to develop future Kings players with an event like this, to showcase the world’s best players to the fans of the Reign.

“It’s good for us to come out here, there’s good, loyal fans in this part of the country and they support our minor-league team really well,” Kings Head Coach Todd McLellan said after the Kings-Sharks game in Ontario. “It’s important that we did that.”

Ontario’s NHL history also extends back to 2009, when the Kings also hosted San Jose, while a 2012 Kings/Ducks meeting was ultimately scrapped due to an eventual NHL lockout. Prior to the Empire Classic, the Kings vs. Kings event regularly made its way to Ontario, with a Black vs. White game kicking off the season on several occasions. That event featured a modified format and several different types of situations and scenarios worked on. Ontario has also hosted the AHL All-Star Classic, back in 2020, as well as other showcase events beyond just hockey.

The Kings will play a modified preseason schedule in 2024, due to the final wave of renovations at Crypto.com Arena, which will be finalized next fall, in time for the start of the 2024-25 regular season.

The Kings have already released two games to be played at a neutral site, as they will visit Quebec City to take on the Florida Panthers and Boston Bruins, a trip which will also include part of the team’s training camp being held in Quebec City. The Kings are also expected to return to Salt Lake City for Frozen Fury, making a total of four exhibition contests for next season that are already known at this time. The Kings will return to hosting preseason games in 2025, with two home exhibition contests scheduled to be held at Crypto.com Arena at that time.

With four games announced, at least a few other games will still need to be added to the schedule, something that will come at a later date. We are still 10 months away, after all, with a lot to happen between now and then.

Regarding tickets, the release from the Kings states –

Ontario Reign All-In Members will have first access to tickets for this event. Tickets will go on sale December 22 at 10 a.m. Additional information about the game will be made available in the coming months.

Off day today for the NHL club, but we’ll take a look at a promising start to the season from a Kings prospect later on this afternoon!