Ontario reign forward Andre Lee (26) gains possession during an AHL hockey game against the Bakersfield Condors, Friday November 21, 2025 in Ontario, Calif. (Staff/TST)Sabrina McClainMon, March 2, 2026 at 3:59 AM UTC·3 min readONTARIO, CA. -- The Ontario Reign were back on home ice for the first time since February 18, winning three straight games since then.
And Ontario would equal its season-high fourth consecutive win with a 4-2 victory over the Bakersfield Condors Sunday afternoon at Toyota Arena.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Reign keep their first place spot in the AHL Pacific Division and sit at 35-16-1-1; 72 points.
After a week without any games, Ontario coach Andrew Lord said the timing was great, in regards to the team’s rest and recovery in the final stretch of the season.
“You do wonder as a coach - you never know right? Is a little too much rest a bad thing?” Lord said. “I was really impressed with our leadership group. Our guys started that first 10 minutes excellent so it was great, there was no rust which was awesome.”
Aatu Jämsen gave Ontario a 1-0 lead within the first two minutes of the opening period, marking tonight as the sixth straight game where the Reign have been the first to score.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAnd considering Ontario has only lost five games after scoring first this season, the cards were already in their favor.
“I think we just wanted to have a really good start,” Jared Wright said in postgame interviews. “And make them defend, make their (defense) turn. And when we do that, when we can force turnovers - we’re gonna have a good chance at winning games.”
Atro Leppanen tied the game up for Bakersfield with a power-play goal, holding a 1-1 score to end the first period.
Wright tapped the puck into the back of the net after assists from Jack Millar and Jämsen, handing the lead back to the Reign.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Condors' Josh Samanski would even the score once again with 41 seconds remaining in the second period.
Koehn Zimmer - whose hat trick aided in Ontario’s previous win against Bakersfield - scored a power-play, game-winning goal to open the third period.
As the clock winded down, the Condors (28-17-8-1; 65 points) were running out of time and decided to take their goalie off the net for an extra attacker.
And while that strategy works sometimes, it’s never guaranteed.
Because well, leaving a net open is high-risk, high-reward.
And a reward was received, but not by the Condors.
With assists from Andre Lee and Joe Hicketts, Cole Guttman scored an empty-net goal - his 19th goal this season - to seal Bakersfield’s fate.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementPheonix Copley had 22 saves and the Reign went 1-for-5 on the power play.
Earlier today, Angus Booth returned to the Reign after being with the Los Angeles Kings, while Kenny Connors was called up to the NHL.
The Reign will host the Tucson Roadrunners (23-20-8-0; 54 points) at Toyota Arena Wednesday at 7 p.m.
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