Ontario Jr. Reign 2026 USPHL Premier National Championship Preview
- Lyanna Yeow
- Mar 23
- 7 min read
Updated: Mar 26
Read more about what you need to know for the Ontario Jr. Reign’s 2026 USPHL Premier National Championship run!
When:
Wednesday, March 25, 2026 at 3:00 PM EDT
Thursday, March 26, 2026 at 12:45 PM EDT
Friday, March 27, 2026 at 3:00 PM EDT
Where:
Wednesday, March 25, 2026 at 3:00 PM EDT
Ice Vault Rink 3
Thursday, March 26, 2026 at 12:45 PM EDT
Ice Vault Rink 3
Friday, March 27, 2026 at 3:00 PM EDT
Ice Vault Rink 2
Watch:
Click the link below to find and stream the games!
Ontario Jr. Reign (4-2-1-1, 8 PTS)
2026 Premier Playoffs Recap
The Ontario Jr. Reign had a rough start to their 2026 Premier Playoff debut as they experienced a 4-3 loss to Henderson Force in Game 1 of their first round series. After that Game 1 upset, the Ontario Jr. Reign regrouped and mustered a 3-2 win in Game 2 and a 4-3 overtime victory in Game 3 of this first round series. The Ontario Jr. Reign’s successes in the latter half of their series against Henderson Force advanced them to the second round of the playoffs where they battled against the Fresno Monsters for the title of being named Pacific Division Champions. This highly anticipated second round matchup started with a 4-0 Fresno Monsters shutout in Game 1. Fueled by determination and vengeance, the Ontario Jr. Reign regrouped once again and secured a 3-2 overtime win in Game 2 of this second round. After forcing another Game 3, the Ontario Jr. Reign found themselves victorious after they secured a 5-3 win which named the 2025-26 Premier Pacific Division Champions! This win for the Ontario Jr. Reign meant more than just securing their spot in the 2026 USPHL Premier National Championship as it also was redemption after falling short to the Fresno Monsters during the second round of the 2025 Premier Playoffs. The Ontario Jr. Reign go into the upcoming games determined to keep their winning-streak strong in order to advance to the Premier Finals.
Points Leaders and Goaltending Stats
Points leaders: #71 Zack Zhang (1G, 6A) led the team with 7 points recorded
Goals leader: #19 Aiden Yi led the team with 5 goals recorded during this series
Assists leaders: #71 Zack Zhang led the team with 6 assists recorded during this series
Goaltending: The Jr. Reign’s goaltending tandem saved a total of 262/284 shots on goal (SOG) which was comprised of #33 Domenik Mclnenly’s 84/90 SOG and #29 Nicholas Perry’s 178/194 SOG
An accomplishment to highlight was #33 Domenik Mclnenly securing his first overtime win in the 2026 Premier Playoffs on March 14, 2026
Overall Stats
The Ontario Jr. Reign accumulated 18 goals, 234 shots on goal, and 72 penalty minutes within their three-game series against Henderson Force and the Fresno Monsters. During their six total games played, the Ontario Jr. Reign ended with a 22.2% power play success rate as well as a 92.3% penalty kill success rate. Read more about how the Ontario Jr. Reign’s stats compare to their opponents!
Coral Springs Jr. Cats (3-0-0-0, 6 PTS)
2026 Premier Playoffs Recap
The Coral Springs Jr. Cats’ playoff run started out with a strong start after sweeping the Florida Junior Blades in two-games. These two wins included a 6-2 win secured in Game 1 and a 5-0 shutout victory in Game 2 of that first round series. The Coral Springs Jr. Cats then faced the Tampa Bay Juniors in the second round and were ultimately named the 2025-26 Premier Florida Division Champions after their 2-1 victory. The Coral Springs Jr. Cats enter their 2026 USPHL Premier National Championship matchups with momentum from their three-game winning streak that was maintained throughout the playoffs.
Points Leaders and Goaltending Stats
Points leaders: #4 Brendan Morea (3A) and #94 Luke Thomilson (2G, 1A) led the team with 3 points recorded
Goals leader: #26 William Hedlund, #60 Keegan Bradshaw, #94 Luke Thomilson, and #96 Jacob Sakitkovski led the team with 2 goals recorded
Assists leaders: #4 Brendan Morea led the team with 3 assists recorded
Goaltending: The Coral Springs Jr. Cats’ goaltending tandem saved a total of 68/71 shots on goal (SOG) which was comprised of #1 Evan Stringer 46/49 SOG and #30 Nathan McAlpine’s 22/22 SOG
An accomplishment to highlight was #30 Nathan McAlpine’s 5-0 shutout which was recorded on March 15, 2026
Overall Stats
The Coral Springs Jr. Cats accumulated 13 goals, 107 shots on goal, and 31 penalty minutes within their two-game series against the Florida Junior Blades and one-game series against the Tampa Bay Juniors. During their three games played, the Coral Springs Jr. Cats ended with an 18.2% power play success rate and an 88.9% penalty kill success rate.
Stats Comparison
The Coral Springs Jr. Cats ended the playoffs with an 18.2% power play success rate which is lower than the Ontario Jr. Reign’s 22.2% power play success rate. When looking at penalty kill success rates, the Ontario Jr. Reign also has the advantage compared to the Coral Springs Jr. Cats (92.3% vs. 88.9%). In order to win this game, the Ontario Jr. Reign may need to rely on their special teams as well as their strong goaltending.
Fresno Monsters (3-2-0-1, 6 PTS)
2026 Premier Playoffs Recap
The Fresno Monsters had an impressive start to their 2026 Premier Playoff run as they swept the Ventura Vikings, 2-0, which consisted of a 6-4 win in Game 1 and a 5-1 win in Game 2 of that first round series. Their momentum continued into Game 1 of their second round series against the Ontario Jr. Reign which helped them to secure 4-0 shutout. Despite putting up a tough fight in Game 2 of their second round series, the Fresno Monsters fell short as the Ontario Jr. Reign mustered a 3-2 overtime win. Both teams fought hard during the last game of this second round series, however, the Ontario Jr. Reign’s successes with their special teams ultimately crowned them the 2025-26 Premier Pacific Division Champions. Despite missing out on the opportunity of being named the division champions, the Fresno Monsters’ perseverance and overall performance helped them to secure the 2026 Premier Wild Card Berth!
Points Leaders and Goaltending Stats
Points leaders: #26 Antti Rajala (7G, 2A) led the team with 9 points recorded
Goals leader: #26 Antti Rajala led the team with 9 goals recorded
Assists leaders: #21 Brian Erte led the team with 6 assists recorded
Goaltending: #31 Noah Hammarstrom saved a total of 126/139 shots on goal in five games played which included a 4-0 shutout win recorded on March 13, 2026.
Overall Stats
The Fresno Monsters accumulated 20 goals, 194 shots on goal, and 75 penalty minutes within their three-game series against the Ventura Vikings and Ontario Jr. Reign. During their five games played, the Fresno Monsters ended with a 15.4% power play success rate and an 84.6% penalty kill success rate.
Stats Comparison
When the Ontario Jr. Reign and Fresno Monsters played against one another during the second round of the 2026 Premier Playoffs, the Fresno Monsters outscored (9G vs. 8G) and outshot (104 SOG vs. 105 SOG) the Ontario Jr. Reign. Despite having a slight edge when it came to scoring and maintaining puck possession, the Fresno Monsters fell short and lost their chance of being back-to-back Pacific Division Champions as Ontario Jr. Reign’s special teams helped their team to make a huge comeback and win this series 2-1 (20.0 PP% vs. 6.67 PP% and 100 PK% vs. 80.0 PK%). The Fresno Monsters also spent more time in the penalty box (49 PMI vs. 38 PMI) during their second round three-game series. Looking ahead, we can expect the Ontario Jr. Reign to enter this matchup with confidence from their previous success against the Fresno Monsters. On the other hand, we can expect the Fresno Monsters to enter this matchup with vengeance to redeem themselves from their previous losses.
Hampton Roads Whalers (3-0-1-0, 6 PTS)
2026 Premier Playoffs Recap
The Hampton Roads Whalers kicked off their playoff run with a 5-0 shutout against the Carolina Junior Hurricanes in Game 1 of their series. They extended their winning streak and advanced to the next round of the playoffs with a 4-1 victory in Game 2 of their two-game series. After a tough back-and-forth battle against the Charlotte Rush, the Hampton Roads Whalers clinched the Southeast Division with a gutsy 3-2 overtime win. The Hampton Roads Whalers were named the 2025-26 Premier Southeast Division Champions and are expected to enter their upcoming games with a hunger to advance to the finals.
Points Leaders and Goaltending Stats
Points leaders: #57 Robbie Rajnys (3G, 2A) led the team with 5 points recorded
An accomplishment to highlight was #57 Robbie Rajnys’ first hat-trick of the 2026 Premier Playoffs being recorded on March 13, 2026
Goals leaders: #57 Robbie Rajnys and #89 Linus Emanuel Gustafsson led the team with 3 goals recorded during this series
Assists leaders: #96 Kevin Rimer led the team with 3 assists recorded
Goaltending: #34 Ethan Laughlin saved a total of 81 out of 84 shots on goal in all three games that were played by the Hampton Roads Whalers during the playoffs. An accomplishment to highlight was the 5-0 shutout that he secured on March 13, 2026
Overall Stats
The Hampton Roads Whalers accumulated 12 goals, 148 shots on goal, and 33 penalty minutes within their two-game series against the Carolina Junior Hurricanes and one-game series against the Charlotte Rush. During their three total games played, the Hampton Roads Whalers ended with a 36.8% power play success rate and a 92.9% penalty kill success rate.
Stats Comparison
The Hampton Roads Whalers ended the playoffs with a 36.8% power play success rate which is higher than the Ontario Jr. Reign’s 22.2% power play success rate. When looking at penalty kill success rates, the Hampton Roads Whalers have the slightest edge over the Ontario Jr. Reign (92.9 PK% vs. 92.3%). In order for the Ontario Jr. Reign to win this game, they need to avoid any unnecessary penalties and to capitalize on their scoring chances.
Overall, we can expect an exciting set of games from the Ontario Jr. Reign’s 2026 Nationals Championship run as they are determined to make it to the 2026 Premier Finals.
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