Here are the ten confirmed Monarchs expected to attend the celebration, as well as their impact on the team.
The Ontario Reign, formerly known as the Manchester Monarchs, are having a 10-year celebration Sunday night for their Calder Cup win in the 2014-2015 season.
Some premiere names like Paul Bissonnette, famously known as “Biz” or “BizNasty” and captain Vincent LoVerde are set to attend the celebration inside Toyota Arena.
One by one, let’s go through each and every confirmed member showing up, and their importance to their Calder Cup win in 2015.
Paul Bissonnette
Everybody in the hockey world knows about Biz. From being one of the faces of the number one hockey podcast in the world, Spittin’ Chiclets, to being a key member of the NHL on TNT presentation, Bissonnette has become one of the most popular figures in hockey media.
Originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Penguins, Bissonnette spent five seasons of his professional career with the Phoenix Coyotes, before closing out his playing career with the LA Kings AHL affiliate.
Biz spent all three years in the AHL, One season with the Manchester Monarchs and two with the Ontario Reign after the team relocated.
In 48 games played with Manchester in 2015, Bissonnette had one goal and six assists, while also having an astounding 167 penalty minutes.
Similar to current Reign forward Jacob Doty, Bissonnette was known for his physicality, and obviously, his big fights.
Vincent LoVerde
The captain of the 2015 Manchester Monarchs, Vincent LoVerde was a cornerstone during their Calder Cup playoff run.
LoVerde put up 20 points in 63 games during the regular season, with a +11.
That's not the most impressive stat line. but legends are born in the playoffs. Loverde was exceptional come playoff time, posting 2 goals and 8 assists in 19 games. He also came up big in the clinching game of the Calder Cup final, scoring the eventual game and championship winning goal.
Who scored the first goal? None other than Adrian Kempe.
Jeff Schultz
It was an unbelievable couple of years for defenseman Jeff Schultz. Because of injuries to the LA Kings back end in the 2014 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Schultz became a big defensive piece in LA’s sensational run to their second Stanley Cup Finals of that year against the New York Rangers.
After winning a ring with the Kings, Schultz added more hardware to his resume. He would play 52 games with the Monarchs the following year, tallying three goals and 13 assists during that time.
Schultz would then put up three assists in their playoff run, and was again, a key defensive piece throughout the entirety of the playoffs.
Justin Auger
Justin Auger began his professional career as a 21- year- old winger, with 2014-2015 Manchester Monarchs.
After spending three years in the OHL, the young Ontario native generated some excitement upon his arrival. His 6’6 frame combined with an appetite for scoring gave him a relatively high ceiling as a prospect..
In only his first pro season, Auger played an astonishing 70 games, scoring 13 goals and 16 assists in the process.
The playoffs saw Auger score just one goal and one assist, but his relentless forechecking and physicality still played a huge role in Manchester’s Calder Cup win.
Sean Backman
A small winger from the small town town of Cos Cob, Connecticut, Sean Backman sported the “A” on his uniform for the first time in his hockey career when he was named alternate captain for the Monarchs in 2014
Backman put up an impressive 19 goals and 25 assists in 76 games played that season, finishing with a +17 rating-.
In the playoffs, the 5’8” forward put up big numbers, finding the back of the net five times, and posting 12 assists.
For the next two years, Backman would rep the “A” on his jersey, this time for the Ontario Reign. After his time in Ontario, he would spend the final four years of his career in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga.
Ryan Horvat
You might recognize the name Ryan Horvat from X. No, that is not the same Ryan Horvat who is very involved with BetMGM.
Horvat was a 5’11 winger who put up 11 points in 52 games played during the regular season.
Out of 19 games in the Calder Cup playoffs, Horvat played in only nine. In these nine games, he lit the lamp in the ever crucial game 5 of round one.
Other than that, he was non-existent on the scoresheet. He would go on to play one more season with the Ontario Reign, before bouncing clubs the last few years of his career.
Michael Mersch
Another guy who played in 76 games, Michael Mersch was an always reliable 6’2 forward who had a breakout year with Manchester in 2014-15.
Tallying 22 goals and 23 assists, the 2011 4th-round pick really made a name for himself in the playoffs, and Mersch was the most valuable player during this time.
With 13 goals and 9 assists in 18 playoff games played, Mersch led the team in scoring throughout the playoffs. He had five multi goal games, including a hat trick in game 2 of the semifinals vs the Hartford Wolf Pack.
In game five of the first round, Mersch scored the game winning goal. In game one of the Calder Cup Finals, Mersch tallied home the overtime winner.
Arguably the most valuable player during the tournament, Mersch only recently called it a career, retiring as the captain of the Rochester Americans.
JF Berube
Jean-Francois Berube, was the starting goaltender for the Monarchs in the regular season and the now legendary postseason.
In 52 games played, Berube posted an astounding 2.18 GAA, anda 0.913 save percentage.
When playoff time came around, Berube was at his best, winning 13 of the 16 games he played from start to finish.
There was no doubt Berube led the team to the finals, with help from some of his teammates, like the aforementioned Mersch.
Unfortunately for Berube, an injury suffered in game three of the Calder Cup Finals would sideline him the rest of the way.
Berube continued to tend the net for a handful of teams all the way until 2023, before retiring. To this day, Berube continues to call Southern California home.
Additionally, Berube has been seen as the EBUG a couple of times this season for the Ontario Reign.
Mike Stothers and Chris Haijt (Coaches)
Mike Stothers, a former player himself, was the head coach of the Calder Cup winning Manchester Monarchs.
In his first season, Stothers took the team all the way to the Calder Cup finals, earning himself the AHL Coach of the Year award for the first and only time in his career.. Sothers is currently an assistant coach for the Anaheim Ducks.
Chris Haijt was and is currently the assistant coach of the Manchester Monarchs and Ontario Reign.
Like Stothers, 2014-15 was Haijt’s first year coaching in the Kings organization.
In an interview with Kyle Garcia from Hockey Royalty, Haijt described the Calder Cup playoffs that year as, “Chaotic and awesome.”
It should be a fun celebration Sunday night for what was a great year and an awesome send off to the Manchester Monarchs as we knew them, the AHL affiliate of the Los Angeles Kings and the 2015 Calder Cup Champions