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[hockeygod]

Reinhart adjusts quickly to AHL, sparks Heat to win:
Centre pots goal, assist in Abbotsford playoff triumph over Toronto

Vicki Hall, Calgary Herald, May 2, 2012

Technically, junior hockey players are supposed to endure intense culture shock upon graduation to the professional ranks. The speed is supposed to be overwhelming. Same goes for the brute power of the opposition.

“Call it man strength,” Ron Sutter, director of player development for the Calgary Flames, says via cellphone from Toronto. “Definitely a different animal when it comes to kids coming out of junior.”

Max Reinhart apparently forgot to read the memo. In only his third game with the Abbotsford Heat, the Flames prospect potted his first playoff goal and added a beauty of an assist Tuesday in a 3-1 victory over the Toronto Marlies.

Buoyed by the fresh face in the locker-room, the Heat lead the second-round Calder Cup playoff series 1-0. Game 2 is slated for Thursday night at the Ricoh Coliseum.

“Max knows how to play the game,” Sutter said. “It’s obvious to see he has the hockey sense and the skills.”

In the first period, Greg Nemisz created a turnover in the neutral zone. Reinhart and Hugh Jessiman followed up and crashed the net. In the right place at the right time, Reinhart pounced on a loose puck in the pile and deposited it over Ben Scrivens. In the second period, Reinhart eluded a hit on the end boards by passing the puck to himself off the net. Embarrassing a Toronto defender in the process, Reinhart threw the puck in front to a wide-open Chris Breen. The one-timer beat Scrivens cleanly, as Breen scored his first goal since Dec. 29.

“Max can handle the physical play,” Sutter said. “He’s finished checks. He’s taken hits to make plays. He certainly hasn’t shied away from that.”

Matt Frattin got Toronto on the board at 1:27 of the third period. The Marlies pressed for the equalizer, but goalie Danny Taylor frustrated them time and time again. Guillaume Desbiens potted an empty-netter to seal the 11th victory in a row for the surging Heat.

In three games as a pro, Reinhart has three goals and four points.

“I think I’ve had a lot of help,” the Kootenay Ice graduate said, clearly intent on deflecting any praise.

That attitude has already won Reinhart respect in the Heat locker-room.

“He’s been great,” Jessiman said of his rookie centre. “He’s a confident kid. He’s been humble. He carries himself well. He thinks the game very well.”

Reinhart comes by his hockey smarts honestly as the eldest son of former Flames defenceman Paul Reinhart.

Clearly, the cerebral side of the game can be passed down from generation to generation.

“It’s his hockey brain,” Heat head coach Troy Ward said of the newcomer. “He just understands where he can find time and space on the ice. He understands how to play without the puck. He’s very much a good support player to anybody he plays with.

“We’ve seen Max in a short time score some goals at this level. That’s not a coincidence. That just has to do with his hockey intelligence and how he understands the game.”

In Reinhart’s mind, the learning has just begun.

“I guess I had an advantage from pretty early being taught the do’s and don’t’s of hockey. My dad made sure I was a full, two-way player throughout my career. It definitely helped. But now, it’s about the team you’re on.”

At this moment, Reinhart is on a team riding one heck of a winning streak at the most important time of the season.

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Reinhart comes by his hockey smarts honestly as the eldest son of former Flames defenceman Paul Reinhart.

Clearly, the cerebral side of the game can be passed down from generation to generation.

I believe it can be passed down from generation to generation – but not necessarily (primarily) through genes! Certainly, watching hockey as a kid (specifically the game played at higher levels; his dad was a pretty 'smart' player in his own right) helped him learn the game through observation and mimicking. It can certainly be trained – more easily at a younger age than starting at an older age. I think genetics does play a role so far as predisposition to body types – plus if you have active, coordinated, sporty parents, they are likely to get their kids involved in similar things – so it becomes exposure to sporting opportunities. It is SO tough to determine individual variables in the nature vs. nurture discussion! But a fascinating debate, all the same!

Dean
M.Ed (Coaching)
Ch.P.C. (Chartered Professional Coach)
Game Intelligence Training
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