Reign Remain Hot on Home Ice
Published on January 29, 2026 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Ontario Reign News Release
The Ontario Reign (28-12-1-1) defeated the Abbotsford Canucks (15-22-3-3) Wednesday night by a final score of 5-2 in in front of 5,810 fans at Toyota Arena. The Reign will play in San Diego on Saturday at 6 p.m. PST.
The Reign stretched their home win streak to six-games improving to 10-2-0 in the month of January. Aatu Jämsen, Glen Gawdin, and Jared Wright each scored a goal and added an assist as Andre Lee opened the scoring 3:42 into the game with his team leading 17th of the year.
The score was tied at 1-1 through 20 minutes of play. Andre Lee (17th) got the Reign on the board at 3:42 on a deflection at the top of the crease from Martin Chromiak and Glenn Gawdin. At the left point Gawdin helped keep the puck in the zone where Chromiak snapped a wrister towards the cage with Lee getting his stick on it. Lukas Reichel tied the game for Abbotsford on a wrist shot in the high slot over the glove of Erik Portillo. Shots were 7-6 Canucks as the Reign killed off the lone penalty called in the frame.
Ontario found the back of the net three times in the second period holding a 4-1 lead through 40 minutes of play. Jared Wright (10th) gave the Reign a 2-1 advantage 2:09 into the frame from Tim Rego and Aatu Jämsen. At the left-wing side at the Reign blue line Jämsen fed Rego through the neutral zone circle. From there Rego led the two on one into the offensive zone and slid the puck over to Wright at the right circle where he beat Patera with a low wrist shot. Ontario went on a four-minute power-play at 11:57 but it was negated as Glenn Gawdin (8th) received a tripping minor six seconds into the power-play. After Gawdin came out of the box the Reign went to work with 1:55 left of man advantage time and Gawdin capitalized at 14:15 from Nikita Alexandrov and Cole Guttman at 14:15. At the right point Guttman delivered the puck to Alexandrov at the goal line where he found Gawdin in the high slot for a one-timer that he sent past the right leg of Patera. Then with just two minutes left in the frame Aatu Jämsen (9th) made it 4-1 on a highlight reel goal where he took from the Reign blue line and drove down the right-wing wall into the offensive zone. He cut through the right circle slipping past the Abbotsford defender and drove the crease tucking the puck by the right leg of Patera. Shots were 9-7 Ontario in the stanza.
Francesco Pinelli (6th) made it a 5-1 game 2:14 into the third when Jared Wright sent the puck to Pinelli in the left circle where he fired a wrist shot into the top left corner. Vilmer Alriksson scored for the Canucks at 8:07 on a rebound.
Erik Portillo made 21 saves on 23 shots for his for his sixth straight victory since returning from injury as he is now victorious in 10 consecutive decisions. Jiří Patera made allowed five goals on 16 shots in the loss.
Ontario went 1-for-2 on the power-play as the they now have a power-play goal in six straight home games and in 11 of their last 13 overall. They went 3-for-3 on the penalty kill having now allowed a power-play goal against in just one of their last seven home games, 21-for-22. The Reign have surrendered a power-play goal against in just three of their last 15 games, 43-for-47.
Postgame thoughts from Andrew Lord, Jared Wright, and Tim Rego.
Lord
On tonight's win
We'll take it. Really timely scoring. Andre Lee, four minutes in. Wright, two minutes into the second. That was a huge goal. I thought they had a couple chances to start the second and that one really got us going. Then one more there, Pinelli two minutes into the third. Those are big goals. I liked the second. I liked the first 10 minutes of the first. Thought we were really good. Took our foot off the gas there. Took our foot off the gas a little bit in the third.
On the success of playing at home
It's a great rink. I think it's a great environment. They obviously give us a ton of support. The guys feel the energy. I think we're just comfortable here too. You can tell. You know, the guys love playing in this building, and obviously being able to match, and those things always help a little bit too. I think there's just a real comfort in this building. And so far, so good.
Wright
On the season so far
I think it's just a ton of fun, just with the group of guys that we have a lot of different personalities. It seems like every game, there's another guy that just steps up to the plate, whether we have guys called up or just seems like everyone's stepping up in big moments.
On the heavy game schedule
I'm feeling great. I think we have a ton of good leaders here. Guys I really look up to like Andre Lee, Chromiak, Joe Hicketts, so just following in their footsteps. They're pros and they've been pros for a while now. And just taking care of your body after whether it's stretching, rolling out, getting treatment. So I've been taking full advantage of that, and I think that's helped me so far.
Rego
On jumping up in the play
100% I think that was a big part of my game in college, and they saw that. Now we're just working on my defensive side and once I get that covered, he said, I have the freedom to jump up.
On his first year pro
It's a great learning experience. Your first year, especially split between the two teams. I would just say, stay planted, stay where your feet are, and, you know, take on every day.
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