The latest chapter in the Reinhart family hockey story should be a doozy as both Sam and Griffin Reinhart are expected to make their NHL debuts in the next two days.
The West Vancouver hockey stars are the sons of former NHLer Paul Reinhart. Their older brother Max has already had a taste of NHL action with the Calgary Flames. By Friday it is expected that all three brothers will have gotten their names onto an NHL regular season game sheet.
Sam, the youngest, was picked second overall by the Buffalo Sabres in this year’s NHL draft and, at age 18, is the youngest player on the team’s final roster heading into the regular season.
“I’m pretty relaxed now. It seems like a usual morning,” Sam told reporters Thursday morning. “But there’s no question it’s the biggest game so far in my life, so I’m pretty excited.”
He is expected to play on a line with NHL veteran and team captain Brian Gionta and former Vancouver Canuck Cody Hodgson when the Sabres host the Columbus Blue Jackets in their season opener Thursday night.
“Obviously I’m playing with some pretty good linemates tonight,” Sam said. “I’m looking to jump in there and fit in right away. There’s no question the pace is going to be that much higher than preseason and I’m aware of that. I’ve been preparing for that for a long time now. I just want to get things going.”
Gionta had praise for his young linemate.
“He’s extremely poised for a young kid,” he said. “You see him out there whether it’s on the ice or in practice, he’s able to slow the game down and show his poise. Only good things are going to come from him and it’s the start of a great career, I’m sure.”
Meanwhile brother Griffin, 20, is expected to make his NHL debut Friday night when the New York Islanders open their season on the road against the Carolina Hurricanes. Griffin was drafted fourth overall in 2012 but spent the past two seasons in the WHL, captaining the Edmonton Oil Kings to a Memorial Cup title last spring.
Griffin survived the final cuts in Islanders camp even though the team traded for veteran NHL defencemen Johnny Boychuk and Nick Leddy less than a week before opening day. Griffin is expected to play on the team’s third defensive pairing beside 26-year-old veteran Brian Strait.
