The Flames are getting younger and so are the Heat
Ben Walter is in Sweden. Dustin Sylvester is in Austria. Krys Kolanos is somewhere other than Abbotsford Entertainment and Sports Centre.
The Calgary Flames are running with a younger lineup this season, and there’s been a trickle-down effect to the Abbotsford Heat, their AHL affiliate based out of the AESC.
Walter, at 28 years of age, led the team in scoring last year, while a 31-year-old Kolanos was second. Neither is back. Nor is Sylvester, 24, and the scoring load has been turned over to the likes of Max Reinhart, 21.
The West Vancouver native is centring Paul Byron, 24, and Roman Horak, 22, on what’s arguably the top line for the Heat. They play their home opener Friday against the Milwaukee Admirals (7 p.m.), and then meet the Admirals, the top farm team of the Nashville Predators, again on Saturday (7 p.m.).
“We’re young and hopefully that leads to a little bit more exciting team,” said Reinhart, a third-round pick of the Flames in 2010. “There’s a lot of excitement around the rink. Everyone is young and hungry and ready to go.”
Reinhart had one goal and one assist in the Heat’s opening weekend split with the Lake Erie Monsters. He tallied seven goals, 21 points, 32 penalty minutes and had a minus-26 rating in 67 regular season games with the Heat last season, his first campaign as a pro.
He has scored before. Reinhart put up 34 goals and 79 points in 71 regular season games with the WHL’s Kootenay Ice in 2010-11, and 28 goals and 78 points in 61 games in 2011-12.
“I think I need to improve my game overall,” said the son of former Flame and Vancouver Canuck defenceman Paul Reinhart, and brother of WHL stars Griffin (Edmonton Oil Kings) and Sam (Kootenay). “I think consistency is going to be a big thing for me.
“I need to try to continue to play well every night.”
The Flames did like what he did in Abbotsford enough that they had him with the big club last season for 11 games, where he put up a goal, three points and a minus-three rating. He played his first NHL game at Rogers Arena versus the Vancouver Canucks on April 6, and scored his first NHL goal on April 13 in Edmonton, rifling a wrist shot high glove side on Edmonton Oilers goalie Nikolai Khabibulin in a 4-1 triumph. His brother Griffin was among those in attendance.
“Did the time in the NHL make me even hungrier? Yeah, I think it does,” Reinhart said. “I’m a little bit disappointed not being on the (Calgary) opening day roster, but I’m using it as a wake-up call.”
Montreal Canadiens legend Guy Lafleur will be on hand as part of Friday’s festivities.