WHL Alumni Spotlight: WHL Champion Reinhart nets half-century mark with Panthers
With over 100 graduates currently featured on NHL rosters, the Western Hockey League prides itself as one of the finest development leagues in the World.
By way of the WHL Alumni Spotlight, we aim to highlight notable achievements set by our alumni at the highest level of professional hockey on a week-to-week basis.
This is what our WHL Alumni were up to over the last week.
Panthers’ Reinhart completes first career 50-goal season
In the Florida Panthers’ three-decade-long tenure in the NHL, a 50-goal season had only been achieved by a single player on two occasions (Pavel Bure during the 1999-00 and 2000-01 seasons). That is, until WHL graduate Sam Reinhart came along.
Sam Reinhart hit the 50-goal mark and joined @FlaPanthers legend Pavel Bure on an exclusive franchise list.#NHLStats: https://t.co/cHgoFiF1SJ pic.twitter.com/hjKgCKqoj6
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) March 25, 2024
Following a two-goal outing against the Philadelphia Flyers on March 24, Reinhart became the second player in Panthers’ history to record 50 goals in a single season. The half-century feat also marked the first time Reinhart reached the 50-goal plateau in his professional career. Now up to 51 goals (33 assists—84 points) through 72 games this season, Reinhart sits tied for second in goals and 11th in points among all NHL skaters. His current 84 points have eclipsed his previous single-season total of 82 points (33 goals—49 assists) recorded during the 2021-22 season. Through 686 regular season NHL appearances, Reinhart has accrued 249 goals and 279 assists for 528 points.
50 goals. 60 seconds.
Sam Reinhart, everybody 🦏👏 pic.twitter.com/IHLWgji6fs
— Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) March 25, 2024
In his five-season stint in the WHL, Reinhart never hit 50 goals in a single season. However, as a member of the Kootenay ICE, Reinhart collected an impressive 319 points (120 goals—199 assists) in 250 regular season games. This included a career-high of 105 points (36 goals—69 assists) during the 2013-14 season. A second-overall selection by the Buffalo Sabres at the 2014 NHL Draft, Reinhart also spent five seasons racking up WHL accolades before making the jump to the National League. In his first season in the WHL, the product of Vancouver, B.C., won the 2011 WHL Championship with the ICE, and alongside his brother Max. Reinhart was also the recipient of the Jim Piggott Memorial Trophy as the WHL’s Rookie of the Year for the 2011-12 season, plus the Brad Hornung Trophy and Four Broncos Memorial Trophy as the WHL’s Most Sportsmanlike Player and the WHL’s Player of the Year for the 2012-13 season.
Ryker Evans snags first career NHL goal with Kraken
Regina Pats alumni Ryker Evans is now free to add ‘NHL goal scorer’ to his resume. Needing just over 20 games as a member of the Seattle Kraken, a 2001-born Evans lit the lamp for the first time at the NHL level on March 22. The milestone came over three months after Evans made his initial debut with the Kraken on December 7. Through 25 regular season appearances with the West Coast club, the WHL graduate has gathered eight points (one goal—seven assists). Evans is also one of two rookies on Seattle’s roster to crack 20 appearances this season.
Ryker Evans first career NHL goal! 🚨 pic.twitter.com/3udkgg573W
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 23, 2024
Known for his calming presence on the blue line, Evans and his defensive artistry spent four seasons in the WHL, serving as an alternate captain for the Pats. In his 195 regular season appearances, the product of Calgary, Alta., totalled 131 points (25 goals—106 assists). While scoring goals was not a frequent commodity for Evans, the Kraken representative still recorded a multi-goal outing on two occasions with the Pats. Evans also led all WHL defencemen in assists for the 2020-21 season, with 25, and graduated the League as a second-team East Division All-Star.
In July 2021, Evans was selected in the second round (35th overall) by the Kraken — becoming the second draft pick in the franchise’s history.
Winterhawks alumni Jarvis ignites scoring streak as Canes march to the post-season
Lamp-lighting talent, a tenacious knack for the net, and a wicked sense of humour. The Carolina Hurricanes landed a rare one with WHL graduate, Seth Jarvis. As the club continues their season-long march to the Stanley Cup Playoffs Jarvis continues to prove just how valuable he’s been for the Hurricanes’ success. Scoring seven goals in his last seven games — including a six-game goal streak from March 14-22 — Jarvis has had the hottest stick in the NHL for most of March. All the while collecting a total of four game-winning tallies, with three coming in consecutive games, during the same span. The overload of game-winners from the Portland Winterhawks alumni also matched franchise and league-wide records. On March 21, he became one of 10 NHL skaters since the 1967-68 season aged 22 years or younger and the second player in Hurricanes history to record three consecutive game-winning goals. This places Jarvis’ points total up to 57 (27 goals—30 assists) through 72 games this season. In 222 career games with the Hurricanes, the 22-year-old has 136 points (58 goals—78 assists) — including 12 game-winning goals.
"He gave me a brutal pass but, we're going to forget that."
Seth Jarvis pure comedy describing his OT-winner 🎙️l🤣 pic.twitter.com/QOG5QA9VBX
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) March 22, 2024
6 goals in 5 games – 4 of them game-winners with 1 coming in OT for the @Canes?
Seth Jarvis is on 🔥 pic.twitter.com/uSK5oLSjQA— NHLPA (@NHLPA) March 22, 2024
With the Winterhawks, the story was no different. In his four-season, 154-game tenure, Jarvis recorded 73 goals and 96 assists for 166 points. Of his 73 career goals, 13 have been tagged as game-winners. Following his career-best 98-point season (42 goals—56 assists) in 2019-20, Jarvis was named a West Division First Team All-Star and was the recipient of the Brad Hornung Trophy as the WHL’s Most Sportsmanlike Player.
In October 2020, Carolina selected Jarvis in the first round (13th overall) at the NHL Draft.
Stankoven writes himself into Stars’ record book with 10th career NHL point
Everywhere Logan Stankoven goes, success follows. This was no different when the product of Kamloops, B.C., took to the ice as a member of the Dallas Stars in late February. Since then, the success has stuck around as the rookie forward, once again, finds himself in the Stars’ record book.
With an assist against the Arizona Coyotes on March 20, Stankoven became the third-fastest player in franchise history to hit 10 career NHL points. A feat accomplished in his first 12 games with the club, a 21-year-old Stankoven finds himself nestled behind only Alex Chiasson and WHL legend Mike Modano, who hit the 10-point mark in 10 and nine games, respectively. As of March 27, Stankoven now has 11 points (five goals—six assists) through his first 15 NHL appearances. With a point-per-game average of 0.79, he sits just second among all NHL rookies who’ve played in 10 or more games this season — only behind fellow WHL alumni, Connor Bedard.
Logan Stankoven (6-4—10 in 12 GP) became the third-fastest player in @DallasStars / North Stars history (tied) to record 10 career NHL points. He trails only Mike Modano (9 GP) and Alex Chiasson (10 GP).#NHLStats: https://t.co/wL8VXf5CUJ https://t.co/KSiTlFjB0F
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) March 21, 2024
Stankoven was synonymous with success at the junior level too. In 180 regular season games with the Kamloops Blazers, Stankoven recorded 260 points (115 goals—145 assists) and held a points per game average of 1.44 across parts of five seasons. Serving as an alternate captain and captain for the Blazers, Stankoven also led his club to four consecutive B.C. Division Championships from 2019-2023, while making two consecutive appearances in the Western Conference Finals during the 2022 and 2023 WHL Playoffs.
Stankoven departed the WHL with a trophy case full of accolades at the conclusion of the 2022-23 season. He was the CHL and WHL Player of the Year in 2022, the WHL’s Most Sportsmanlike Player in 2022, and the WHL’s Humanitarian of the Year in 2023.
Stankoven was selected in the second round (47th overall) by the Dallas Stars at the 2021 NHL Draft.
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