Finally, the wait is over. For the first time this season, coach Andrew Lord’s Ontario Reign will square off against their nearest neighbor, the Coachella Valley Firebirds.
Yes, it’s the AHL, where scheduling can be a bit quirky. While this marks Ontario’s first matchup with Coachella Valley this season, the Reign have already completed two season series — including an eight-game grind against the San Jose Barracuda.
To help set the stage for tonight, let’s look back to the beginning of this newly minted Pacific Division rivalry. Since Coachella Valley’s inception in the 2022-23 season, these two teams haven’t wasted any time ramping up some hatred. The Firebirds entered the league and immediately reached the Calder Cup Final, then followed it up the very next year by sweeping the Reign in the Pacific Division Finals — and proceeded to land in the Calder Cup Final once again.
Some may call it jealousy on Ontario’s side, but regardless; players and fans on both ends have embraced this new-age rivalry — one made even more intense by the fact that the two teams are separated by less than 80 miles.
Enough of the drama, let’s get into the numbers. The last time these two teams met was nearly a year ago, on January 25, 2025. Ontario came away with a 3–0 victory back then, powered by a Pheonix Copley shutout, as he turned aside all 27 shots faced. Copley is expected to get the nod again tonight, with a chance to replicate that performance.
Overall, the Reign finished 4-4 against the Firebirds last season, including wins in four of the final five meetings.
Lord’s lineup will get a boost tonight, as well. Kings prospect Franky Pinelli is expected to rejoin the team after being out since Dec. 17. Last season, the left shot center had three goals and an assist against Coachella Valley.
Reign Projected Lineup vs. Firebirds
If there are any key changes during pregame warmups, this article will be updated.
Ward – Gawdin – Chromiak
Alexandrov – Pinelli – Guttman
Lee – Connors – Wright
Ziemmer – Hughes – Doty
Booth – Hicketts
Dvorak – Bolduc
Kirsanov – Salin
Copley (starter)
Saville
Likely scratches: (F) Brown, Isogai and (D) Rego
Injured: Burroughs, Lawrence, Millar, Parker-Jones, Portillo
Key Game Info
Puck drop is set for 6:00 p.m. Pacific Time and will be streamed via FloSports. Additionally, a Reign radio feed is available here.
Follow @mayorNHL
Continue reading...