The princes of the AHL have just three games left before starting their quest for the Calder Cup.
Sitting third in the Pacific Division with 87 points, the Ontario Reign punched their ticket to the Calder Cup playoffs on March 27, 2024 and sealed their home ice advantage with their 5-4 victory over the Henderson Silver Knights on Saturday night in Nevada.
They have just three games remaining and could possibly move into second place over the Tucson Roadrunners who have the regulation wins tiebreaker.
Thanks to TheAHL.com, here is a playoff primer. Let’s start with the qualification rules because there are a lot of teams that can make it to the dance.
With so many teams that make it into the playoffs, there are five total rounds. Since the Coachella Valley Firebirds have clinched the Pacific Division, they automatically get a bye into the second round and the rest of the division now re-seeded. In this case, the third place Reign will face the sixth place Bakersfield Condors.
Head-to-head this season, the Condors have a slight edge in the series so far, winning four of seven matchups. The two teams will face each other one more time before playoffs start on April 17 in Bakersfield.
Leading the team in goals is Samuel Fagemo with T.J. Tynan retaining his crown as the team points leader. Tynan’s 63 points are good enough for fifth overall in the AHL, while Fagemo’s 41 goals are eclipsed only by Adam Gaudette’s 44 goals in 68 games played. (Fagemo has only played 48 games, having spent eight games playing in the NHL with both the Nashville Predators and Los Angeles Kings.) The 24-year-old Swede will be looked to as a scoring leader as the Reign hope to hoist the Cup come June. Rookie defenseman Brandt Clarke has also had an impactful first season with Ontario, scoring 42 points in 47 games played (he also spent time in Los Angeles), leading the team’s D-corps by a significant margin.
Akil Thomas was also having a great season before his recent call up to the Kings. Alex Turcotte was activated from long-term injured reserve after a brief conditioning stint in the Inland Empire so Thomas’ time in the NHL came to an end. But should the Kings go deep in the playoffs, he may yet make a postseason impact for the big club.
The Road to the Cup
The first round will be difficult. Anything can happen in a three game series. The odds get slightly better in the second round, the division semi-finals, a best-of-five. The Firebirds are absolutely loaded with NHL prospects, thanks in part to how Seattle Kraken General Manager Ron Francis has opted to build his team, loading up on picks and potential rather than going after more established players a la Vegas Golden Knights.
In a stroke of good fortune, because each round re-seeds, the Reign wouldn’t have to face Coachella until the division finals, round three. It could be kicking the can down the road, or it could give Ontario enough time to find their footing and gain confidence as playoffs progress. Hockey so often comes down to a matter of chance or the bounce of a puck one way or another. Who’s to say fortune won’t favor the princes of the AHL?
In any case, the most difficult test may come down to (eventually) the Hershey Bears. Once again the Washington Capitals farm team rules the AHL with an iron paw, collecting the best record with no one else even close. But no one ever expects conquest to be easy. Here’s hoping for the black and silver to prevail through all five insane rounds of postseason hockey.
Good luck to the Ontario Reign as they make their own Quest for the Cup. You can buy tickets here or catch up on the latest happenings over at lakingsinsider.com