After a week off — by virtue of earning a bye in the first round of this year’s Calder Cup Playoffs — the Ontario Reign now know who they’ll be facing next.
Sunday night, Coachella Valley defeated Bakersfield to advance to Round 2.
Waiting for them will be an Ontario team coming off a 99-point regular season. That’s the past though. Regn coach Andrew Lord’s squad is eager to get back to work and they’re turning their attention to the postseason.
Thus, the AHL’s I-10 Series is about to add another chapter, with the Reign and Firebirds set to meet in the Pacific Division Semifinals.
Just 79 miles separate the two arenas, but the rivalry between the teams and their fanbases runs much deeper.
This will be their second playoff meeting, with the Firebirds sweeping the Reign in the Pacific Division Final just two seasons ago. That year, Ontario looked poised for a deep playoff run, yet it was their opponent who made it all the way to an overtime game to decide things in the Calder Cup Final that year.
However, with the Reign’s established history contrasted against a second-year Firebirds team, that outcome left a bitter taste for the organization and its fans. Now, Ontario has an opportunity to rewrite their story from a couple years ago.
One notable name from that 2024 team is Andre Lee, who really burst onto the scene during the spring of 2024. He made a lot of noise during that playoff run, following a rather quiet 2023–24 regular season. Recording just 13 points (8G, 5A) in 36 games prior, expectations for Lee were limited heading into the postseason that year.
He wasted no time changing that narrative, scoring Ontario’s first goal of the postseason in Game 1 of Round 1. He stayed hot too, netting goals in three consecutive games (over Games 2 and 3 of Round 2 and on into Game 1 of Round 3). Playing on a line with Samuel Helenius and Taylor Ward at the time, then-coach Marco Sturm often referred to that trio as his team’s best line.
Lee, now one of Ontario’s top offensive threats, will look to reignite his playoff magic. He was consistently one of the best players all season for Lord in 2025-26. Despite being held without a point in the final five games, he still managed to second in goals (26) and power play goals (10), along with landing among the team leaders at .74 points-per-game.
Now, Lord and the Reign will be counting on the 6-foot-5 winger to respond when it matters most.
“I don’t think anything, that guy is superb,” stated Lord, when asked what he needs to do to get Lee ready for the playoffs. “When you play this many games, you’re going to be hot sometimes and you’re going to cool off a little bit. But his game is still great. His details, his checking, his physicality, his PK — [whoever we] put him with, he’s excellent. He can shut teams down. He can play against top lines. He’s definitely a big game player, and he’s definitely a playoff player, so I couldn’t be more excited to see him in the playoffs.”
Overall, Ontario and Coachella played a fairly close eight-game regular seasons series. In the end, it was the Reign coming away with a 5-1-2 edge and they’ve have won the last three matchups.
Veteran Cole Guttman led the Reign in the season series with 10 points (5G, 5A), including a hat trick and a four-point performance on April 1 — and no, that’s not a joke.
Back on the blueline, the Reign will be led by a steady pair of young defensemen in Angus Booth and Kirill Kirsanov. Meanwhile, fellow Kings prospect Erik Portillo is expected to be Ontario’s No. 1 starter against Coachella Valley — something we’ll dig deeper into later this week.
The first two games will be held at Toyota Arena in Ontario. Games three and four (if necessary) shift to Acrisure Arena in Coachella Valley, before the series returns to Toyota Arena for a decisive Game 5 if needed. See below for dates and times.
Series Schedule
The best-of-five series will begin at Toyota Arena.
Game 1 – Wed., April 29 in Ontario (7pm)
Game 2 – Fri., May 1 in Ontario (7pm)
Game 3 – Tue., May 5 at Coachella Valley (7pm)
Game 4 – Thurs., May 7 at Coachella Valley (7pm)
Game 5 – Sat., May 9 in Ontario (6pm)
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