All For 1: Erik Portillo’s Journey Back
Ontario Reign goaltender Erik Portillo skated out during player introductions to a roaring crowd of almost 7000 at Toyota Arena on Oct. 10. The start of a new season means a clean sheet for the Reign and for Portillo himself.
The 25-year-old hadn’t been in the crease for a regular season game since Feb. 17. Portillo allowed five goals in his first game against the Tucson Roadrunners in a 5-4 overtime loss and allowed only two goals in the second game against the same opponent earning three points in his first two starts since his last appearance in February.
“It was great to be out there. [It was] so much fun to be playing again and competing at this level,” Portillo described to The Royal Half. “You have your highs and lows and to be able to be back and play again, it’s a great feeling.”
Portillo missed the last two months of the 2024-25 AHL season and the Reign’s two Calder Cup Playoffs games after a nagging back injury sidelined him. He suffered a setback a few weeks later which kept him off the ice for over six months.
After the unpredictability of last season, Portillo is ready for a new season as Ontario’s starting goaltender after the back injury ended his stellar campaign last season.
Portillo joined the Kings organization via a trade with the Buffalo Sabres on Mar. 1, 2023. Originally drafted 67th overall in the 3rd round of the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, Portillo declined to sign with the Buffalo organization and his rights were traded to LA for a third round pick in the 2023 draft. He made his AHL debut on Oct. 21, 2023. In his first year pro, Portillo finished with a 24-11-3 record, a .918 save percentage and 2.50 goals against average in 39 total appearances. He finished in the top five for most wins by a rookie in the AHL and helped lead the Reign all the way to the Pacific Division Final of the Calder Cup Playoffs.
He reclaimed his crease at the beginning of the 24-25 season and after a few rough games found his rhythm winning four of his first six starts. On Nov. 29, Portillo experienced a milestone moment when he made his NHL debut against the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center in Anaheim. He stopped 28 of 29 shots in a 2-1 win and was named 1st star of the game..
However, things went south in January according to Portillo. That’s when the back pain became noticeable. He kept playing throughout but his numbers began to drop. He recorded four games in January alone where he allowed four or more goals.
The Reign were managing wins while their goaltender was ailing. Portillo saw in videos that he wasn’t physically moving the way he wanted to. The realization was incredibly frustrating to the Swedish born goaltender.
In what would be his final two starts of the 2024-25 season, Portillo felt fine against the Calgary Wranglers. He felt better after that series especially in his play and said he “competed like crazy” to get the team another win. “That’s when the big blow came kind of and [my] back took a turn for the worst,” according to Portillo.
Initially, Portillo believed he’d be out for a week. After receiving further treatment, he tried to return twice before reinjuring himself which caused him to be shut down for the season. It was a tough period for Portillo because of his fluctuating health.
While he wasn’t on the ice and didn’t play with the team during the last months of the season, Portillo was still around them. His presence made a difference for a team fighting to end their season at the top of the Pacific Division standings. Fellow Swede Andre Lee sympathized with Portillo’s struggles with his injury but knew having him around the team made a difference for both parties.
“He’s a positive guy, has a smile on his face when it comes to the rink,” Lee described Portillo. “Being around the guys [and] still feeling like he’s a part of the team, even if he’s not playing, helped him and his recovery as well.”
The Reign’s season officially ended in a first round sweep by the San Jose Barracuda. While the offseason began for most of the players at that time, it had already entered its second month for Portillo, and the progress he made allowed for a smoother healing process. He didn’t return to the ice until early August but was grateful to the staff that helped him throughout his recovery. “It was a long process, but I got fantastic help from the doctors and our strength coach, and our trainers in the room,” Portillo said. “They’ve guided me through it the entire way.”
Being away from the sport for an extended period of time wasn’t easy and when asked what he learned during this process Portillo said he had started seeing a sports psychologist. He completed different exercises to become more resilient and to work on energy management in order to play games more consistently.
Goaltending coach Adam Brown has been impressed with Portillo’s return in net, especially after the amount of time he was out. Being limited to only practice without gameplay is tough for anyone but he can tell Portillo is getting back into the flow and is in game mode again which helps with quick reactions and decisions in game. There are also smaller aspects to his game that have made a difference, “Something that’s been big for him is calming his mind and going out there and being very present.” said Brown.
After a start in the Kings preseason game against the Ducks on Sept. 27, Portillo made his regular season return to the Reign crease on Oct. 10. Asked how he feels entering the season with a new mental skillset, Portillo was positive about the changes he’s seen. “I feel it. I’m more calm and more focused. It gives me a little more poise in net,” Portillo said. “Hopefully we can see it carry over even more into the season here.”
Brown said he talked about the thinking aspect of goaltending with Portillo and said there can’t be too much thinking in a game because that leads to being a step behind. So he wanted Portillo to take all the work he’s done in the offseason and apply it in a controlled manner where Portillo can play freely.
“He’s a very intense person, has a competitive nature to him especially when it comes to being on the ice and it’s about fighting that battle within [of] riding that line of being fiery, but also being able to relax in intense moments,” he said. “It’s being at a seven all the time and not letting himself get to a 10, but also not going down to a three… keeping him even keel where he has the intensity and he has the ability to compete but not let that overtake him and overtake his mind and his body,” added Brown.
Portillo’s teammates are also impressed by his recovery and are grateful to see him back where he belongs. “It’s a tough situation for him to be in last year, but he’s such a competitive guy,” said Reign forward and alternate captain Taylor Ward. “We knew he was going to keep fighting to get back in the net as long as it took, so it’s great to see him back.”
His presence in net is a welcome sign and provides confidence for a team hoping to reach the playoffs with new players and a new head coach at the helm.
Portillo doesn’t need to worry about anything else on the ice. He brings such an instant sense of calm and confidence to his teammates that all he has to do is stop the puck.
Ward added that Portillo is a great competitor who makes the team better when he’s in net, something a team needs at the start of a new season.
“We don’t spend a second worrying about him back there, [He] lets us focus on doing what we need to do.”
