Hey Insiders! Starting off our annual Seasons In Review series today with a look at eight players who split their 2024-25 years between the NHL and AHL, contributing both for the LA Kings and Ontario Reign.
Pheonix Copley
NHL Statline – 1 game played, 27 minutes played, 0-0-0 record, 4.37 goals against average, .833 save percentage
AHL Statline – 42 games played, 2,430 minutes played, 24-17-1 record, 2.49 goals against average, .904 save percentage
ONT Playoffs – 2 games played, 117 minutes played, 0-2 record, 2.05 goals against average, .920 save percentage
Coming off a season that was cut short due to a significant injury, Copley bounced back in a year where he primarily played in the AHL, his first games with Ontario since the 2022-23 campaign.
In 42 appearances with the Reign, Copley ended up playing more minutes (2,430) than he had in any of his nine other AHL seasons. That ranked as the second-most minutes he’s played during any of his pro years, behind 2022-23 when he went 24-6-3 for LA in 37 appearances.
Copley hit his stride in the second half after his goalie partner, Erik Portillo, went down with an injury. That resulted in him starting 21 of the Reign’s last 26 games from February 12 through the end of the regular season. That he was able to play as many minutes as he did without physical limitations is impressive in itself but only two other netminders across the AHL played more down the stretch in the final two months of the campaign.
While his time in the AHL was certainly impressive, and he kept Ontario in both of its first-round playoff games vs. San Jose with solid netminding, Copley had only a brief call-up opportunity in October, which resulted in one 27-minute mop-up appearance during a 6-2 Kings loss to Toronto.
2025-26 Status – After signing a one-year deal with the Kings last summer, Copley will be an unrestricted free agent if he doesn’t agree to an extension before July 1. Both he and the Kings will have an opportunity to decide whether he fits into the team’s plans behind Darcy Kuemper going forward.
Samuel Helenius
NHL Statline – 50 games played, 4 goals, 3 assists, +1 rating
LAK Playoffs – 6 games played, 0 goals, 1 assist, -1 rating
AHL Statline – 20 games played, 2 goals, 4 assists, -2 rating
After an impressive start in training camp, Helenius began the regular season with the Reign but earned his first NHL call-up and made his debut on November 9, earning an assist on a goal by Warren Foegele in a win over Columbus.
The former second-round pick remained in the NHL with the Kings until January, becoming a consistent presence on the team’s fourth line alongside Andre Lee. He was loaned back to Ontario from the end of January until just before the trade deadline in early March, but then remained on the Kings’ roster the rest of the year.
At the AHL level, he served as a middle-six center contributing to the Reign’s aggressive style with added physicality and four fights. Both of his goals for Ontario came in an impressive span of 41 seconds on October 13, helping the Reign come from behind in the final minutes of regulation to earn their first win of the season against San Jose.
Helenius scored his first career NHL goal to tie up a game against Florida in the third period on January 23, which the Kings eventually won. He added his second tally vs. Boston on March 23 and then found the back of the net twice in Seattle for his first two-goal game on April 15. His NHL style of play was very clear. At 6-6, Helenius is encouraged to use his size to his advantage. His 20.79 hits per/60 led the Kings and among players with at least 50 games played on the season, Helenius ranked second in the NHL, behind only Vancouver’s Kiefer Sherwood.
Although he only played more than five minutes in one of LA’s playoff games, Helenius was in the lineup for all six contests and recorded an assist in Game 6, where he had 12 shifts and 7:50 of ice time.
2025-26 Status – With one year remaining on his three-year entry-level contract, Helenius will be expected to take another step forward next season and should continue to be a regular depth center at the NHL level for the Kings. The expectation coming into training camp, as of now, would be at the 4C spot would be Helenius’ to lose, though that can always change as summer transactions are made.
Caleb Jones
NHL Statline – 6 games played, 0 goals, 0 assists, -1 rating
AHL Statline – 44 games played, 2 goals, 19 assists, +6 rating
ONT Playoffs – 2 games played, 0 goals, 1 assist, even rating
Jones made the Kings’ opening night roster as the team carried eight active defensemen to open the year after Drew Doughty suffered his injury early on in camp. He only managed to get into five games before he was loaned to Ontario in early December.
With the Reign, Jones was a do-it-all defender who played big minutes and contributed all over the ice. He helped Ontario easily break out of its own zone with his strong skating ability, was effective in transition with smart playmaking and logged significant time on both the power play and penalty kill units.
The 27-year-old was also counted on as a partner for two of the Reign’s younger prospects, including Angus Booth, which required him to move over to the right and play on his off-side, as well as rookie AHL blueliner Jack Millar. In addition, Jones teamed up with Reilly Walsh on other nights to form a more dynamic veteran pairing.
When Jones joined Ontario, the team took off, picking up points in eight straight games after he debuted on Dec. 15. The team’s record with him in the lineup during the regular season was an impressive 26-14-4, which helps underscore everything Jones brought to the table on a nightly basis that don’t show up on the scoresheet. He didn’t necessarily drive the team’s offense, scoring 21 points from his 44 appearances, but the Reign didn’t spend nearly as much time defending when he was on the ice.
Jones got one more NHL look with the Kings in a win at Seattle on April 15 after the team had already solidified its playoff position. He then returned to Ontario’s roster to help lead them through the final two games of the regular season and their short stint in the Calder Cup Playoffs.
2025-26 Status – Jones will be an unrestricted free agent for the fourth time in his career on July 1 and could be looking for a new home. He’s certainly proved himself as one of the top veteran defenders in the AHL and can be someone who fills in as a depth option in the NHL as well, with almost 250 career games to his name at the top level. In that role, he will find a home next season, whether with the Kings or somewhere else he feels he could have a better opportunity.
Andre Lee
NHL Statline – 19 games played, 1 goal, 2 assists, -5 rating
AHL Statline – 48 games played, 6 goals, 14 assists, -1 rating
ONT Playoffs – 2 games played, 0 goals, 0 assists, -2 rating
A year ago at this time, I don’t think anyone could have expected Lee to be in consideration for the Kings’ opening night roster. But lo and behold, the big winger made his NHL debut on opening night and played in 19 total games with Los Angeles. He was trusted by Jim Hiller in multiple roles throughout the lineup, even spending a brief clip up at the top alongside Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe during a win in Minnesota in November. Lee ranked third on the Kings in hits on a per/60 basis, behind only Helenius and forward Tanner Jeannot. That’s the style of hockey Lee brought and was instructed to play to.
Eventually, Lee was loaned to Ontario, where he settled into a role as the team’s second line left winger alongside center Jack Studnicka. The two formed a solid combo that showcased speed and aggressiveness on the forecheck and often included Lee’s good friend and countryman, Samuel Fagemo on the right wing. Lee has provided excellent value as a player once drafted in the seventh round back in 2019. When he was assigned to the AHL, Lee was asked to expand his game in ways he wasn’t able to in the NHL, in a role he didn’t have at that level. All signs pointed to a player who did a nice job of that.
He was also healthy all season for the first time in his career after missing multiple stretches of his first two campaigns with various ailments. The consistency was something Lee was looking for and contributed to his growth.
While one could certainly call Lee’s season a breakout year with an effort that has him in line for more time with the big club next season, he wasn’t able to add much of a scoring touch to either team’s lineup, finishing with just six goals from 48 AHL games. He’s shown some signs of offensive ability, including an outstanding effort that led to his first NHL goal on New Year’s Day against New Jersey, but as he prepares for his fourth pro campaign in the fall, Lee will look to be a more consistent contributor on the offensive end, while continuing to do the other things in his game that could make him a full-time NHL’er come the fall.
2025-26 Status – Lee signed a new two-year extension with the Kings in March for the league’s minimum salary, which has him set up as a low-cost depth option up front for the immediate future. Lee should compete for a job on the fourth line in the NHL during training camp, with the Kings thinking highly of him entering next season.
Jeff Malott
NHL Statline – 12 games played, 0 goals, 1 assist, -1 rating
LAK Playoffs – 6 games played, 0 goals, 0 assists, -2 rating
AHL Statline – 61 games played, 23 goals, 28 assists, +17 rating
After playing 61 games in the AHL and standing out as a valuable two-way forward who brings physicality every night, Malott seized his opportunity when he was called upon by LA late in the season after Tanner Jeannot suffered an injury and never returned to Ontario, making an impressive impact down the stretch.
The Reign felt the loss of Malott after he was called up in late March, having already tied his career-high with 23 goals, hitting the 20-goal mark for the fourth consecutive campaign. His 51 points were accompanied by a plus-17 rating, five power play tallies, four multi-goal performances, two game-winners, including one in overtime, and four fights.
Malott’s mix of hard-working effort along the walls and physicality fit in well on the Kings fourth line, where he remained for the team’s final 12 regular season outings and all six playoff contests. Malott played in every game after he was recalled and didn’t look at all out of place in doing so, showcasing a calmness to his game that made him effective in the NHL.
2025-26 Status – One season remains on Malott’s two-year $775,000 deal from last summer, which sets him up to compete for the role he had at the end of the regular season at the NHL level. Like Lee, expect Malott to battle for a job towards the bottom of the lineup at the NHL level. The experience he picked up at the end of the season will help him and he was a favorite of the coaching staff to play in that role. Would expect him to have a good chance to begin there in the fall.
Jacob Moverare
NHL Statline – 49 games played, 1 goal, 7 assists, +2 rating
LAK Playoffs – 2 games played, 0 goals, 0 assists, even rating
AHL Statline – 11 games played, 0 goals, 2 assists, +8 rating
Although he still fits among this group of skaters that split his time between the AHL and NHL, Moverare may have finally graduated to a full-time role with the Kings this year, never factoring into the AHL lineup after a call-up on Nov. 15.
The fifth-year blueliner was a valuable member of LA’s blue line group, playing multiple roles in both configurations with the traditional six-member unit as well as the 11/7 look. The Kings were aware of Moverare’s ability to defend, but he was trusted for more minutes this year than ever before, with his 49 games played topping his previous NHL-high of 24 a year ago.
With a familiar partner in Jordan Spence, the two lined up next to each other on the third pair for LA and played a simple yet effective game. That was Moverare’s strongest stretch of the season, coming when Drew Doughty was out, as the Kings lined up with seven defensemen, with Moverare partnering Spence on a Reign-alum duo.
What’s most effective about Moverare isn’t glamourous. It’s that very little happens when he’s on the ice and playing well. Moverare is an effective defender with high-level hockey sense. He’s not the best skater or the flashiest puck mover and he doesn’t try to be. He’s got good length but isn’t overly physical. He is, simply, a good defender and when the Kings sought stability on the backend in November, Moverare helped to provide it.
2025-26 Status – Moverare is one of seven Kings defenders under contract for next season, the final of a two-year pact he signed in March of 2024. His contract, having been signed back in 2024, comes in at $775,000, which makes him a cost effective option at the bottom of the lineup, whether it be as a third-pairing blueliner or a seventh or eight defenseman.
Erik Portillo
NHL Statline – 1 game played, 59 minutes played, 1-0-0 record, 1.02 goals against average, .966 save percentage
AHL Statline – 24 games played, 1,448 minutes played, 15-5-3 record, 2.82 goals against average, .889 save percentage
Portillo had a very impressive stretch of games during Ontario’s 2024 playoff run that set him up to be the team’s 1A option this year. Unfortunately, he struggled a bit to get going out of the gate but had better results midway through the season.
His ability to work through a slow start earned him his first NHL recall and the opportunity to make his debut in Anaheim at the end of November, where he picked up a win by allowing a single goal and stopping a few dangerous looks by the Ducks in the final minutes. Portillo was selected as the game’s number-one star with 28 saves in the victory.
That performance elevated his confidence once he returned to the AHL in December, a month that consisted of wins in five of his six appearances. As the calendar reached February, Reign Head Coach Marco Sturm started to give Portillo a bit more of a runway and consistency in the crease. But after winning back-to-back overtime games in Calgary in February, Portillo suffered an injury that eventually ended his season.
It was a frustrating finish for the goaltender, who seemed to be hitting his stride. Despite a lower-than-expected save percentage, Portillo posted a record of 15-5-3 in 24 appearances for Ontario in his sophomore campaign.
2025-26 Status – The netminder will return to the organization next season, the second of three on the deal he signed last August. While it looked like Portillo was on track to compete for the backup job behind Kuemper on the Kings roster, the team may feel that more time in the AHL is necessary before the 24-year-old is ready for the jump to the NHL.
Taylor Ward
NHL Statline – 1 game played, 1 goal, 0 assists, even rating
AHL Statline – 66 games played, 12 goals, 15 assists, +6 rating
ONT Playoffs – 2 games played, 0 goals, 0 assists, even rating
Ward’s season may be best remembered for his NHL debut, where he added his name to the list of players who had impressive efforts in their first appearance by scoring a goal in his only opportunity with the Kings.
In his third pro campaign, Ward primarily played a middle-six role for the Reign, scoring a career-high 12 goals but falling short of the 32 points he managed the year prior. His plus-6 rating was also solid, but again, it wasn’t as impressive as 2023-24 when he led Ontario with a +23.
Ward has remained healthy throughout his career, which has allowed him to become a valuable, reliable piece of the Reign lineup. He also has versatility, with the ability to play alongside different linemates and has good work ethic and compete. The winger spent a good chunk of time with second-year center Francesco Pinelli, helping develop the prospect’s consistency as the season progressed. He also fit in well with Studnicka and Lee when Fagemo was up on the team’s top line.
2025-26 Status – An unrestricted free agent, Ward is one of the only core Ontario forwards needing a new contract for the upcoming year. He has given the Kings organization good value since he signed as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Nebraska-Omaha at the end of the 2021-22 season. Despite playing in 224 AHL games with the Reign, the fourth-most in team history, Ward would not yet occupy one of the team’s “veteran” spots, reserved for those who have over 260 games played, which makes him easier to retain and slot into the lineup, if the organization chooses.
