Reinhart is Kootenay’s wild card
Hitmen wary of projected No. 1 pick
CALGARY — A self-proclaimed psychic of an earlier generation, Uri Geller, delighted and astonished audiences by apparently bending spoons with his mind. Sam Reinhart twists defences in much the same way.
“He’s had a couple wideopen looks on me this year,” marvels Calgary Hitmen goaltender Chris Driedger, “where he’s faked the shot and then gone back-door to a guy. ”
The Hitmen embark on their opening best-of-seven Western Hockey League playoff series against the Kootenay Ice on Thursday night — the first hurdle, they hope, on the road to London, Ont., midMay and the 2014 Memorial Cup — favoured in virtually every conceivable facet.
They possess home-ice advantage. Finished with 20 more points in the WHL Eastern Conference standings. Scored 52 more goals and gave up less. Stampeded 7-2-1 down the stretch. But if the Ice have a wild card capable of upsetting the natural course of events, it’s Sam Reinhart.
Many analysts’ projected No. 1 pick for this summer’s NHL Entry Draft in Philadel- phia, Reinhart ranked fifth in league scoring with 105 points. Tack on the extra 12 games he missed, and you’ve got to believe he’d have pipped the pace-setting 118 rung up by Spokane Chiefs’ rightwinger Mitch Holmberg.
For Kootenay to win this series, goaltender Mackenzie Skapski’s going to be a pivotal figure, undoubtedly. Fortyfour goal winger Jaedon Descheneau, Reinhart’s righthand man, will need to be on song, too. Luke Philp provides attacking pop down the middle to give the Ice a potent second-line attacking alternative. But it’s the brains behind the operation that puts them in with a shout for the upset. Reinhart’s influence simply cannot be underestimated — collectively, Kootenay scored 235 goals this season and he had a hand in virtually half of them.
Against the Hitguys, he was typically brilliant, six starts netting him 13 points, all, interestingly enough, assists. In hockey smarts, this kid, at least at the junior level, has Einstein or Hawking IQ.
“Just a very, very intelligent player,” says Hitmen boss Mike Williamson. “We often talk about certain players making those around him better. Well, that’s what he does. He distributes the puck well. Finds the open man. Even if you pressure him hard, give him very little time and space he’s still able to make plays.”