Ontario Reign Bring New Look to AHL

One of the new west coast American Hockey League teams will also be changing their look. The Ontario Reign, currently an ECHL team, will change their look as they head into the AHL for the 2015-2016 season.

The Los Angeles Kings are moving their current affiliate, the Manchester Monarchs, to Ontario, California. The current Ontario roster will take over as Manchester as the team’s new ECHL affiliate.

While in the ECHL, the Reign had a multi-colored look with a dragon logo. They change their emblem now to reflect the Kings color scheme and logo design.

“It is very important to the LA Kings that the Ontario Reign hockey club have its own unique look and logo. We did want it to represent the Kings and the brand that we have worked so hard to establish over the years but — at the same time — we made sure it works well with Ontario,” Los Angeles Kings President of Business Operations Luc Robitaille said in an NHL.com press release. “I personally like it a lot because it has that retro look and feel to it. We believe it is going to be a hit with hockey fans here and beyond.”

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The Monarchs have always had the same style as the Kings, with the black and white uniforms with a little bit of purple worked in to reflect the old purple uniforms the Kings wore. The term “Monarch” has always gone with royalty as well so it was a fit. The nickname of “Reign” continues with the Kingly theme.

“These jerseys tie us to our parent club, the Kings,” Reign President Darren Abbott said in a team press release. “The Reign will begin a new era in the American Hockey League next season as the primary affiliate of the Kings. We have had many players for this franchise go on to help Los Angeles win Stanley Cup Championships, and now that identity can become an even greater part of the Reign culture.”

The Reign are one of five new teams in California, including San Diego, San Jose, Stockton, and Bakersfield. The Kings own both the Reign and the Monarchs, those the Reign’s secondary affiliate has historically been the Winnipeg Jets. It remains to be seen if Manchester will keep Winnipeg as that secondary affiliate.

The current Reign team play at the Citizens Business Bank Arena and the new team will likely play there as well.