Reinhart to lead WHL against Russians
Wednesday November 5, 2014
By Josh Sweetland/CHL
The Western Hockey League’s Kootenay Ice got in a shot in the arm last week when the Buffalo Sabres announced that they’d be sending their prized prospect Sam Reinhart back for another year of major junior hockey. The Sabres, who have come out of the gate with a 3-9-1 record and the least goals scored in the NHL, clearly aren’t rushing the third edition of the Reinhart trilogy.
The Ice, who have started the season with a record of 4-13-0-0, could certainly use the offensive help as they, like the Sabres, have scored the least amount of goals in their league. Reinhart joins St. Louis Blues prospect Jaedon Descheneau, who he played alongside last season to record 105 points (36-69-105) in 60 games, in trying to reinvigorate the Kootenay attack.
Reinhart got a little taste of the big leagues and like his older brother Griffin before him, will continue developing his game in the CHL for another season. The second overall pick in the 2014 NHL Draft has had older brothers Max, a former assistant captain of the Kootenay Ice and now farmhand of the Calgary Flames and Griffin, a New York Islanders’ first round pick in 2012, to look up to.
Griffin Reinhart was sent back to the WHL’s Edmonton Oil Kings out of training camp last season and made the most of his second chance at a MasterCard Memorial Cup title. After winning a seven game series over the Portland WinterHawks to be crowned WHL champions in 2012, Reinhart’s Edmonton Oil Kings lost in an elimination tiebreaker to the host Shawinigan Cataractes in a disappointing finish. The Oil Kings returned to the WHL Finals in 2013 only to have Portland settle the score, eliminating them at Rexall Place in Edmonton in a crushing 5-1 game seven defeat. The dissapointing news out of Long Island last fall that he’d failed to make the NHL roster and would be sent back to junior only fueled Reinhart’s motivation. The big 19 year-old defenceman captained his Oil Kings to the MasterCard Memorial Cup Final, finishing the job this time with a 6-3 win over the Guelph Storm.
Now in a similar situation, the youngest Reinhart will be given another opportunity in the WHL, one that begins with some serious responsibility. The Western Hockey League announced last week that Reinhart will captain Team WHL in the 2014 SUBWAY Super Series, an annual showcase that features the CHL’s best talent facing off against candidates for the Russian National Junior Team. This will be Reinhart’s third appearance in the event. In his two games last year, Reinhart recorded an assist as captain for Team WHL who lost 3-2 in Red Deer but responded with a 4-2 win in Lethbridge to clinch the six-game series win for the CHL.
The WHL has historically dominated in SUBWAY Super Series matchups with Russia, but has had its hands full in the last four years, playing to a 3-4-0-1 record.
The Russians took both decisions in 2010 as Maxim Kitsyn scored three times in two games and Stanislav Bocharov potted a hat-trick in game two, paving the way for Russia to win its first series over the CHL in event history 4-2.
The two teams split a high scoring affair in 2011 after the Russians entered the final two games in WHL territory with the chance to take the series. Team WHL managed to win the first game as Ty Rattie, Brad Ross and Jordan Weal all had a goal and an assist. The Russians took the next one though with current Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov registering two goals and an assist. The CHL hung on to win the series 10-8 in points.
The shootout came into play in 2012 in Vancouver. The teams played through regulation in a scoreless deadlock as Edmonton Oil Kings netminder Laurent Brossoit and Andrei Makarov of the WHL’s Saskatoon Blades kept the door shut. Shootout goals from Hunter Shinkaruk, Mark McNeill and the aforementioned Sam Reinhart secured a 1-0 win for Team WHL. Team Russia came out flying in the second game, taking a 5-2 decision to win the series 10 points to 8.
The 2013 SUBWAY Super Series went right down to the wire. Russia took a 3-2 win in Red Deer behind Alexei Baskov’s third period winner. On the verge of securing a series victory, Russia ran into an inspired WHL team in game six that overcame a 2-0 deficit to win 4-2, taking the shooting column 42-17.
Russia has taken two out of the last four series against the Canadian Hockey League and there’s certainly a lot to prove this time around. With 2013-14 WHL Player of the Year Sam Reinhart back in the picture, Team WHL coaches Dave Lowry (Victoria Royals) and Kelly McCrimmon (Brandon Wheat Kings) have a whole new dimension to work with on both sides of the puck.
Game one of the series goes Monday November 10th in Saskatoon, followed by game two on Tuesday November 11th in Brandon.
The 2014 SUBWAY Super Series will be nationally broadcasted in its entirety live on Sportsnet and TVA Sports.
For more information including how to purchase tickets please visit www.subwaysuperseries.ca.