Hardy Returns for 2nd Season
July 2, 2012 - ECHL (ECHL)
Ontario Reign News Release
ONTARIO, Calif.- The Ontario Reign, 2011-12 Pacific Division Champions and proud affiliate of the NHL's 2012 Stanley Cup Champion Los Angeles Kings, announced that Mark Hardy will return to coach the Reign's defense for the 2012-13 season.
Hardy put his stamp on the 2011-12 Reign as his defensive system made an immediate impact on the team. Ontario ranked first on the penalty kill (87.5%), which included a streak of 27 consecutive kills, and seventh in shots against per game (30.43). The defense's effectiveness in its own end helped cut down on outnumbered attacks and point-blank shots as Reign netminders ranked third in the ECHL with a combined 2.68 goals-against average.
The Los Angeles Kings drafted Hardy in the second round (#30 overall) in the 1979 NHL Entry Draft. Hardy played most of his 15 NHL seasons with the Kings (1979 through 1988 and 1992 through 1994).
Hardy recorded 368 points (62g, 306a) and 1,293 penalty minutes in 915 career regular season NHL games with the Kings, Minnesota North Stars and New York Rangers.
Hardy, 53, got his first taste of coaching as a player / assistant coach with the 1995-96 Los Angeles Ice Dogs of the IHL. He continued on as an assistant coach with the Ice Dogs for another three years before he was hired as an assistant coach with the Los Angeles Kings in 1999. He served six seasons as a defensive specialist with the organization. His penalty killing unit ranked third in the NHL for the 2001-02 season with an 86.6 percent success rate (the second best in Kings history).
Reign Drops: The 2012-13 season schedule has been released and can be viewed online here . Call a Reign ticket representative at 909-941-PUCK (7825) to learn more about the benefits of being an Ontario Reign season ticket holder, and get your seats today!
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