WHO: Ontario Reign (15-8-1-0) at Bakersfield Condors (11-8-5-0)
WHAT: AHL REGULAR-SEASON GAME #25/72
WHEN: Wednesday, December 17 @ 6:30 Pacific
WHERE: Dignity Health Arena – Bakersfield, CA
HOW TO FOLLOW: VIDEO: FloHockey – AUDIO: Reign Radio – TWITTER: @ReignInsider & @OntarioReign
TONIGHT’S MATCHUP: The Reign play their final road game before the holiday break taking on Bakersfield this evening to wrap up three straight away from Toyota Arena.
HEAD-TO-HEAD: Tonight marks the third of eight total meetings between the Reign and the Condors, the second of four in Bakersfield. Ontario is 2-0-0 against Bakersfield this season picking up a 3-2 win on Nov. 21 on home ice and then a 3-2 overtime win in Bakersfield the following evening. Jared Wright has both game winning scores in the series while Tayor Ward has also scored twice. The two clubs combined for 56 penalty minutes on Nov. 21 as Kenny Connors recorded a Gordie Howe Hat-Trick while Wright and Koehn Ziemmer picked up their first professional fighting majors. The Reign are just 1-for-12 on the power-play against the Condors and 5-for-6 on the penalty kill.
IN BETWEEN THE CREASE: Kings netminder Darcy Kuemper took a hit to the head on Monday night in Dallas and was placed on the injured reserve list. Pheonix Copley was called up to the Kings yesterday while Mattias Sholl was recalled by Ontario from his loan assignment with the ECHL’s Greenville Swamp Rabbits.
Copley has won three straight games for the Reign and five of his last six starts after starting the season just 2-5-0 and is 7-6-0 collectively on the year with a 3.13 goals-against average and .885 save percentage. He has started seven of the Reign’s last 10 games since Erik Portillo suffered an injury on Nov. 12, Portillo still remains sidelined.
Sholl has appeared in 12 games with Greenville this season posting a 4-5-2 record with a 2.19 GAA and .926 SV%. The Hermosa Beach, CA native signed a one-year AHL contract with Ontario on Jul. 30, 2025 after a four-year collegiate career at Bemidji State University where he pitched a 52-51-12 record in 117 games with a 2.58 GAA and .904 SV%. He was named CCHA Goaltender of the Year in 2023-24 and to the First All-Star Team helping the Beavers to a Regular Season Championship.
Isaiah Saville suffered his first loss of the season on Saturday making 26 saves in a 6-1 loss at Colorado and is 3-1-0 on the year with a 2.79 GAA and .866 SV%. His first start of the year was in Bakersfield on Nov. 22 where he made 13 saves on 15 shots in the 3-2 overtime victory.
WIN STREAK SNAPPED: Saturday’s loss put a halt to Ontario’s season long win streak of four consecutive victories where the Reign had outscored their opponents 18-13 during the streak. Ontario has won seven of their last nine games dating back to Nov. 21 and sit third place in the Pacific Division at 15-8-1-0 and 31 points.
GAWDIN FINDS A GEAR: Forward Glenn Gawdin helped Ontario to a 3-2 victory in Colorado on Friday night scoring a pair of third period power-play goals in a stretch of 33 seconds snapping a 10-game goal-less skid. The veteran forward stretched his point-streak to three games (3-1-4) on Saturday scoring Ontario’s lone tally and has six points (3-3-6) in his last seven games. The Richmond, BC native is tied for second on the squad with 17 points (6-11-17) and is two assists shy of 200 in his AHL career.
GUTTMAN STILL GOING: Forward Cole Guttman continues to stay hot as he increased his point-streak to eight games (3-6-9) recording an assist on Saturday for his fifth consecutive game. The first year Reign skater has a point in 11 of his last 13 games (4-9-13) after starting the season with just three points (1-2-3) in his first 11 contests and is tied for third on the team with 16 points (5-11-16). The longest point-streak of Guttman’s 172 game AHL career was nine games back during the 2023-24 campaign where he tallied 18 points (8-10-18) with the Rockford IceHogs from Mar. 16-Apr. 2.
SCOUTING THE CONDORS: Bakersfield is coming off a pair of overtime games in Tucson this past weekend where they fell 5-4 on Friday and won a thrilling 8-7 decision the following evening. The Condors currently sit sixth place in the Pacific Division with a 11-8-5-0 record and 27 points. Dating back to their overtime loss against Ontario on Nov. 22 they’ve secured a point in six of eight contests, 4-2-2. They’ll be without rookie forward Quinn Huston who was recalled by Edmonton on Monday. Hutson is leading all AHL rookies in scoring with 28 points (16-12-28) in 24 games which is fourth among all skaters. His 16 goals are third in the AHL as he had collected 25 points (14-11-25) in his last 14 contests. Fellow rookie forward Issac Howard has notched 13 points (6-7-13) in 11 games after being loaned from the Oilers on Nov. 14. He is coming off a three-point night where he scored the overtime winner Saturday and has four goals and two assists in his last six games.