In a move that didn’t seem to surprise anyone, West Vancouver native Sam Reinhart was snatched up in the first round of the National Hockey League draft on June 27 as the second-overall pick.
As predicted by many hockey experts, the Buffalo Sabres selected Reinhart as its first pick, and he’ll continue to play as a centre as he did with the Western Hockey League.
“I’ve pictured myself in this uniform for a very long time,” he said in an article on the Sabres’ website. “I’m very excited and I’m very motivated to step into the league next year with a young team that’s developing very well and to make an impact.”
Sabres fans instantly took to social media to express their delight that the Buffalo hockey team chose Reinhart as their top pick.
Brian Burke on #Reinhart, "Brainiac centre...he dismantled our team...This guy’s hockey IQ is off the charts...Albert Einstein on skates."
— Michael Parisi (@parisi_mr) June 28, 2014
Can't wait for next season. Still ways to go but wan't to see #Reinhart dish some saucer passes for @MMoulson Gonna be awesome! #Sabres
— Joonas Kuusela (@Joonas2703) July 1, 2014
Yes, no. 23 needs to be given credibility again. #Sabres #Reinhart
— brian K. (@grounded77) June 30, 2014
Comments on the Sabres.com website included comments such as, “I knew we were gonna get this guy, couldn’t be happier!” to “STOKED!! This kid is going to be a star!”
Reinhart himself admitted that he’s been waiting for this moment for all his life.
“I’ve envisioned myself in this position, coming in here at this point in time,” Reinhart told a team of reporters at a press conference in Buffalo Monday morning. “I know I have a lot of work ahead, and I know I’m going to continue to work.”
The new Sabres player studied his team over the last several months and knew he would make the team if he worked hard enough, according to the team’s website.
“Fortunately for me, I’ve had two older brothers go through this experience, I’ve been able to watch them try and make a National Hockey League team,” he said at the conference. “Seeing them go through it the past couple of years, it’s made me familiar with the process and I’m comfortable with it.”
Reinhart is another link in the chain that his family started in 1979, when his father Paul Reinhart was drafted by the Atlanta Flames, and went on to play 11 NHL seasons with both the Flames and the Vancouver Canucks.
The soon to be 19-year-old is also joining both of his brothers, Max and Griffin Reinhart, in the NHL ranks. The Calgary Flames selected Max in the third round of the 2010 NHL draft, while Griffin was picked in the first round by the New York Islanders in 2012.
“I think the biggest thing is I feel ready to play,” Reinhart continued.
Although his NHL career is officially just beginning, Reinhart has already received accolades for his talent on the ice. In the WHL, he tied as the No. 4-ranked North American skater in the 2013-14 season. He led Kootenay with 105 points in 60 games during that season, as well.
Reinhart was named the 2013-14 Player of the Year and Most Sportsmanlike Player of the Year at the annual WHL awards. He was also captain of two teams that won gold medals for Canada at the 2012 Ivan Hlinka memorial and the 2013 under-18 world championship.
To top it all off, he wears the No. 23 jersey – the same number his father Paul donned in the NHL.
