CHL stars poised to headline NHL Draft once again
By Aaron Bell
When the National Hockey League Central Scouting Players to Watch list came out earlier this week there were a lot of familiar names to CHL fans but one in particular stands out for many reasons.
Kootenay Ice captain Sam Reinhart is considered a top candidate to be taken first overall at the 2014 NHL Draft next June in Philadelphia. His hockey resume is already very impressive – leading Canada to a pair of Under-18 championships in the past 14 months – and his bloodlines also speak volumes.
Reinhart is the son of former NHL defenceman Paul Reinhart, who played 11 seasons with the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks after graduating from the Kitchener Rangers. Sam will be his third son to go through the NHL Draft process.
Max Reinhart was a third round pick of the Flames in 2010 and then Griffin Reinhart was taken fourth overall by the New York Islanders in 2012.
The youngest Reinhart is focused on being selected even earlier next June but said that he doesn’t see it as a competition with his siblings.
“In our family there isn’t a lot of competition,” Reinhart said. “I’ve seen what my brothers have done and I’m just trying to keep it going.”
It’s no wonder than Reinhart is already rated so high among this year’s crop of prospects. Scouts love what he brings to the rink every game.
“He has a complete game at both ends of the ice,” Peter Sullivan of NHL Central Scouting told NHL.com. “He does everything well. He won’t get you overly excited, but from a coaching perspective, he’s the guy you always want on the ice in critical situations.
“He’s your go-to guy and team leader and is just going to be consistent at the junior level, and eventually the pro level.”
Reinhart was Canada’s go-to guy with Canada’s Under-18 entries last year. He was the captain of both teams and scored three goals and seven points in their win in Sochi, Russia in April.
He is hoping to get a chance to represent Canada again at the World Junior Championship this Christmas in Sweden.
“It’s been dry (for gold medals) lately and it would be a huge honour to represent Canada again in such a big tournament,” Reinhart said. “It would be a pretty nice feeling to be able to bring back gold for Canada.”
Some scouts are already billing this year as a showdown between Reinhart and Barrie Colts’ captain Aaron Ekblad, a third-year defenceman that was given exceptional player status to enter the OHL as a 15-year-old. Reinhart said that he isn’t looking that far ahead – he just wants to help the Ice win this season.
“There’s definitely a lot of hockey to be played but it gives me a little bit of confidence to start the season,” Reinhart said. “The last couple of years have gone well for me and this is obviously a big one (year) for me. I’m just trying to keep it going.”