“I had chills. It may have been a small Tuesday in July in Brossard, but that didn’t stop David Reinbacher from experiencing strong emotions. Imagine when he lands on a Saturday night at the Bell Center against Toronto…
Tuesday noon, therefore, the Canadian’s development camp ended with a simple intra-team game. The bleachers were open to spectators, and they were therefore some 200 or 300 to cheer the hopes of the Habs.
Even though Lane Hutson, Logan Mailloux and the great John Parker Jones put on the show, the crowd was all for Reinbacher. It was he who received a standing ovation when he was sent to the penalty shootout. It was he who received the final applause, on returning to the locker room.
It was in response to these scenes that Reinbacher, 5e choice in total last week, spoke of his “chills”. “They were cheering when I got on the rink,” he said, incredulous. I missed my feint in the shootout, but I’ll work on it in the next few weeks! »
It must be said that after an initial slippage during his selection, Reinbacher received some love. Tuesday’s applause was in addition to the book given to him by a fan, filled with positive comments from other fans. He received said book on Sunday and has been able to leaf through it in recent days. “It gave me motivation and a smile,” he admitted.
This wave of love, what did it do to her? The young 18-year-old greenhorn hesitates for a moment, clearly still moved. “I can’t describe it, it’s amazing. They took good care of me, they sent me messages. I feel like home here. It’s like my second home. I want to come back here, train, and give back to the fans. »
Love at first sight
Let’s stay in Cupid’s flowerbeds; Reinbacher also had a crush – professionally – at his first NHL camp.
He and Hutson, another defender with some potential, have spent a lot of time together. It started with exercises for which they were paired up from time to time, in the first two days. Then, for the simulated match, they were actually used as a duo. The marriage makes perfect sense between the little Hutson, ultra offensive, and the beefier Reinbacher, less inclined towards the offensive thing. If it worked for Danny DeVito and Arnold Schwarzenegger, why wouldn’t it work here?
PHOTO FRANÇOIS ROY, THE PRESS
Lane Hutson
“It’s just nice to play with an excellent partner to stop opponents and protect me. It clicked all week, he’s a good player,” Hutson said.
During the simulated match, Hutson prepared at least three scoring chances for his partner, each time to no avail. Reinbacher seemed to laugh all the same. “I may have to change my poles!” “, he joked in front of the cameras.
Rob Ramage, director of player development, noted a hint of disappointment in the young Austrian. “For love, it’s July,” exclaimed Ramage. But he wanted to play so well. »
Obviously, it is not, precisely, after a simulated match in July that we will decree that the future incarnation of the Lidstrom-Rafalski duo is born. But the two rears have found affinities. Reinbacher came away so impressed that he launched a comparison that could be described as enthusiastic, to be polite.
You take the puck, you skate, you give it to him and you watch him go! He is a good offensive player. Hope it’s not too high, but it’s probably the next Cale Makar. He’s so good on his skates, he does crazy things on the ice. I hope to play with him one day.
David Reinbacher on Lane Hutson
Maybe it was the six months difference, or the fact that he was speaking his native tongue, but Hutson offered a wiser comparison. “He is the next David Reinbacher. He will be very good, it shows, ”launched the cherub-like defender.
In two months ?
Hutson was heading home Tuesday afternoon, and won’t return to Montreal until next spring, as he will play at Boston University while trying to add to his 158 lbs.
Reinbacher, him? It’s less clear. No one wanted to comment. Ramage remained vague. Reinbacher said everything and its opposite about it, but he dropped that rookie camp will start “in 65 days,” speaking like a guy who will be there. He then recalled that there are still “things to discuss”.
We already know the question that will ignite this summer Louis de Ville Mercier, Harold de La Pocatière and other fond of telephone forums: should Reinbacher play in Laval or Switzerland next season?
The examples of Simon Nemec and David Jiricek will come up often. They were the first two defenders claimed last year, respectively at 2e and at 6e rank. The first played in the Slovak league, the second in the Extraliga, the Czech first division. Not necessarily the best leagues in the world. And both spent the last season in the American League.
Like them, Reinbacher could acclimatize to North American rinks by staying here rather than returning to Europe. On the other hand, his time of use will be higher in Kloten, where he was the most used defender at equal strength of his club, according to data from the specialized site NL Ice Data.
Whatever happens, “I will have to be ready to show them that they made the right decision by drafting me 5e. » That is what is said.