For the first time since their inaugural season a decade ago, the Ontario Reign are Pacific Division champions.
With their victory over Coachella Valley on Saturday night, coach Andrew Lord’s team earned had accumulated enough points to mathematically eliminate all challengers and they also secured the first-round playoff bye that comes with the No. 1 seed.
It wasn’t easy, though — in fact, far from it. After taking a 2-0 lead in the opening period behind goals from Koehn Ziemmer and Martin Chromiak, the Firebirds answered back with one in the second.
Holding a 2-1 lead after 40 minutes, the Reign appeared to be in control for much of the third frame, but a late power-play goal with 3:15 remaining suddenly tied things up. An obvious shift in momentum was titling toward the Firebirds direction. And just when it felt like things were unraveling for Lord & Co., Lleyton Roed potted what most in the arena believed would be the game-winner with only 44 seconds left.
However, just like every good movie, there was a twist. Right before scoring the apparent goal, Roed made contact with Kings prospect Erik Portillo in the crease. The play was ruled goaltender interference, waving off the goal. Suddenly, Ontario had new life.
Once the game headed to overtime, it didn’t take long. In a moment of déjà vu from Tuesday, Glenn Gawdin buried the winner just 17 seconds into the extra frame, sealing the game and all that came with it for Ontario.
Despite the magnitude of the win, first-year head coach Andrew Lord remained unfazed, brushing it off as ‘just the regular season’ in his postgame interview.
After joining the organization last summer, inheriting a roster filled with first- and second-year pros, Lord has done a tremendous job behind the bench. He will likely earn consideration for AHL Coach of the Year.
It’s easy to forget that Lord spent nearly five years somewhat connected to the Reign through his time behind the bench for ECHL Greenville. As coach of the Swamp Rabbits, he worked closely with many of the same staff members now involved in Ontario’s player development. In between, he had a one-year stopover in junior hockey, where he guided the Halifax Mooseheads (QMJHL).
Over the course of his coaching career, Lord has put together a history of success. His time in Greenville included a South Division championship, a 2021 ECHL Coach of the Year nomination, and then winning the award the following season.
During his introductory press conference, Lord stressed the need to ‘develop a competitive nature,’ making it clear that growth and success are not mutually exclusive.
The results speak for themselves. Guys like Chromiak, Andre Lee, and Aatu Jamsen have progressed significantly, while Kenny Connors and Jared Wright have navigated their rookie seasons with seemingly minimal difficulty. His time behind the bench in Ontario has also blended seamlessly with the efforts of Associate Coach Chris Hajt, who handles the majority of defensive oriented assignments.
Credit belongs to the players, but Lord’s system in Ontario has been a driving force behind their development this season. It’s no coincidence that career-best seasons are happening across the roster.
In the end, Lord has simply done what he’s done throughout his coaching career: win. A Reign record in both wins and points, along with a Pacific Division title, tells the story. And by all indications, he’s far from satisfied.
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