Looking back to late January 2015, the announcement came that five teams would be moving to California to form the American Hockey League's Pacific Division—a first for the AHL.
One of those teams that would move was the Los Angeles Kings' primary minor league affiliate, the 2015 Calder Cup Championship Manchester Monarchs, who became the AHL's Ontario Reign.
The 2015-16 Reign, despite a short summer and having to pack up and move cross-country had an outstanding season, reaching the Western Conference Finals. But aside from what they did in games, there's the deeper story of how they're doing off the ice, in terms of building a fan base, becoming part of the local community and developing young prospects for the Kings.
In the first installment of a two-part story, Frozen Royalty spoke exclusively with Reign President Darren Abbott about his team's first season in the AHL, and in Southern California, in terms of some of the key off-ice work his team had to do, not only to move cross-country, but just to get up and running and then, to establish themselves, both in the AHL, and in the Inland Empire.
Check it out at...
Ontario Reign’s First Season In AHL Deemed A “Rousing Success” – Part 1
GDT: [GM54] Vancouver Canucks @ San Jose Sharks | Thur, Feb. 6th | 7:30pm | SNP | Winter Wonderland
