Win a 4-pack of tickets to Kings Alumni and Ontario Reign

This Saturday, the Ontario Reign and the Kings Alumni Association are teaming up for a special double header...and we have 20 tickets to giveaway!

At 3pm a team of Kings Alumni will skate in a special game vs. a group of local players. [UPDATE: The roster is scheduled to include Valeri Bure, Brandon Convery, Mark Hardy, Brad Norton, Jamie Storr, Ian Turnbull, J.F. Jomphe and Matt Kopitar - father of Kings center Anze Kopitar. Glen Murray will serve as the coach of the team.]

Then, at 6pm, the Ontario Reign will take on the Colorado Eagles. Of course, Hardy is now the assistant coach for the Reign, and Kings' goaltending prospect JF Berube is the team's number one netminder this season. As a special bonus, the Reign will be wearing a Kings themed jersey for the game.

Some of the Kings Alumni will be signing autographs during intermission of the Reign game.

If you'd like to win a 4-pack of some prime tickets - located in the 'wrap around attack' section of the lower bowl, valued at $23 each - simply send an email to ticketcontest@MayorsManor.com - all entries must include your name, address and phone number.

Good luck, we'll announce the winners on Friday morning.

The Mayor
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Reign preview - Hardy behind the bench, Berube in net

Tonight marks the fourth season opener for the Ontario Reign, the Kings' ECHL affiliate.

For those who don't follow Southern California's premier minor league hockey franchise too closely, here's a quick crash course to bring you up to speed.

The Reign are owned by the Kemp family, who previously headed up the Long Beach Ice Dogs. They play in a beautiful building (Citizen's Business Bank Arena) some have called a mini-Staples Center - probably because it's also run by AEG.

In October 2008, the Reign played their first ECHL game, against the Bakersfield Condors, the same team they're playing tonight.

At the end of that inaugural season, the team made the playoffs - but, ultimately lost their first round match up with the Stockton Thunder in seven games. Former Kings first round draft pick Colten Teubert was with the Reign for a few games at the end of the season and for the playoffs. Current Manchester goalie, Jeff Zatkoff, was in net at the time and former Monarchs sniper Bud Holloway was among the group of forwards in Ontario.

They missed the playoffs each of the last two seasons, both of which brought mounting frustrations for the fan base and management. Part of the issue on the hockey operations side has been the fact the Kings haven't been sending them four to five players each season, like most other ECHL teams get (team president Justin Kemp spoke openly about the issue here).

Coach Karl Taylor, who also was in charge of managing the team's player personnel, left over the summer, taking an assistant coaching job in the AHL. The circumstances surrounding his departure are murky at best, as he's now working in the Canucks organization - the same team Kemp was negotiating with to bring on as a second NHL affiliate (again, discussed in greater detail in his MayorsManor interview linked above).

This season, the Reign are getting two additions with LA ties.

Confusion reigning between Kings and ECHL affiliate?

Being an ECHL affiliate to an NHL team isn't quite as glamorous as it might seem on the surface.

The way hockey is structured, most top prospects are either playing major-junior in Canada - via the WHL, OHL and QMJHL - or are enrolled at an American University. Once the player is a little older, he's usually sent to the AHL before eventually joining his NHL team.

So, where does the ECHL fit it? Good question, actually. As far as prospects go, goaltenders seem to find the most success there - simply because there are only two goaltending slots on other teams, compared to at least seven defenseman and 12 forwards.  So, from a numbers standpoint, it's easy to see why a goalie ends up in the ECHL.  Hey, it worked out for Jonathan Quick - who spent most of his 2007-08 season with the ECHL's Reading Royals.

That said, several players on the Monarchs roster last season had at least spent some time in Ontario, the Kings' ECHL affiliate, over the few seasons prior - including their leading goal scorer, Bud Holloway, plus forward Jordan Nolan, defenseman Colten Teubert and goaltender Jeff Zatkoff.

However, last season the Kings weren't much help to Ontario. Goalie Martin Jones started the season there - only to be sent to Manchester after playing just one game (due to Erik Ersberg returning to Europe).

Prior to the start of last season, in an interview on MayorsManor, Reign President Justin Kemp said, "We're probably the biggest pains in the butt to (the Kings)...we try and try and try (to get players from them). The truth of the matter is, they're tyring to work on their own things...We have a lot more to gain from certain players coming here than they do. Sometimes we don't always see eye to eye. But, we continue to push."

Even so, Reign coach Karl Taylor noted on several occasions last season that he wished the Kings were able to supply him with more talent.

Interview w/ Justin Kemp - Ontario Reign President

Minor league hockey sure has come a long way in Southern California. From a dilapidated building in San Diego during the 90's to games in front of just a few hundred fans inside Long Beach Arena as recently as a couple of years ago, the times they are a changing.

Later tonight the ECHL's Ontario Reign - proud affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings - will host the Stockton Thunder in the home opener of their 2010-11 season.  The arena will probably be packed, just as it has been since they played their first game there two seasons ago. 

They were second in league attendance during their inaugural campaign and topped that by leading the entire 19-team league last season.

Several players on the current roster of the Kings top minor league franchise, the Manchester Monarchs of the AHL, have previously played for the Reign - including goaltender Jeff Zatkoff, defenseman Colten Teubert and forward Bud Holloway.

The synergies between the Kings and their affiliates aren't just on the ice.  The team continues to strengthen their hockey presence and brand awareness by building a strong relationship with the Reign.

What better way to get things started tonight than to hear from the man in charge of the whole operation, Team President, Justin Kemp...

MM:  Given the past attempts to bring this level of hockey to Southern California - not to mention there are two NHL teams here now - are you surprised by the success you guys have had in Ontario?