Saturday night was to be the conclusion of Arthur Kaliyev’s AHL conditioning assignment. However, Mayor’s Manor has learned the Kings are requesting an extension so he can play two additional games.
Since being loaned to the Ontario Reign two weeks ago, the 23-year-old forward has played in four games for coach Marco Sturm’s squad to date. Interestingly, they were the first ‘real’ games he skated in for the club. Back in 2020-21, Kaliyev’s first season as a pro, he suited up for 40 Reign games; however, none of them were played with fans in the building due to the pandemic. In fact, all of those contests were played at the team’s training facility in El Segundo, rather than in Ontario.
Last Sunday, Kaliyev made his Reign debut at Toyota Arena, recording an assist and helping spark a third period comeback victory over one of the Pacific Division’s top teams, the San Jose Barracuda.
Wednesday should have been the more difficult game for Kaliyev — a notion both player and coach agreed with heading into things — as it’s common to not have the same adrenaline boost in game two as a guy would have had in his return back after being sidelined for several months. Instead, Kaliyev was credited with four shots on goal and was very active offensively during the third period of a 2-1 Reign victory over the visiting Calgary Wranglers, the AHL’s top team this season.
This weekend saw what was likely Kaliyev’s toughest stretch of the week, a pair of back-to-back games in a home-and-home series with Coachella Valley. Friday night was an odd contest that saw the Reign take three separate minor penalties in the middle frame, limiting Kaliyev’s ice time (as he doesn’t play on the penalty kill). In turn, Sturm used his fresh legs quite a bit during a third period that saw the Reign earn a 4-1 road victory over the Firebirds.
In Saturday’s rematch back at Toyota Arena, Kaliyev recorded another four shots on goal and had several outstanding offensive shifts during the third period of a 4-2 Reign victory.
Following the game, he immediately flew home to spend Christmas with family. After the league’s holiday break, look for a formal announcement of the Kings request to extend his conditioning assignment. Plans call for him to play another pair of back-to-back games next weekend — first in San Diego on Friday, then another contest in Coachella on Saturday night. After that, he should rejoin the Kings NHL roster.
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