(Kloten, Switzerland) The moment takes place on September 30. David Reinbacher, in his second game of camp, is preparing to leave the Bell Center, after playing 16 minutes, in a 3-1 loss against the Maple Leafs.
Reinbacher comes out of the sauna and puts on his suit. He heads to the buffet to stock up on energy before running off. “No one knew the team was cutting players that night,” he explains. We understand that he didn’t expect an announcement either.
Until he met Alex Case, Habs road secretary. “Caser said to me: “Do you have a second?” And he shows me a plane ticket. So I understood.
“Then I met Martin [St-Louis]Kent [Hughes] and Jeff [Gorton] in the office. It went well, they left me on a positive note. »
The contrast still seems strong between the somewhat particular way of breaking the news to him, and his impression of a positive encounter. A bit of a weird way of doing things, no?
“Yeah, but I guess that’s how they do things.” It’s a tough business. If you perform, it’s okay. Otherwise…” he said, leaving the sentence hanging.
His “otherwise” isn’t bad, mind you. He still left with a three-year contract in his pocket, which will begin to expire when he settles in North America. In the meantime, here he is in Kloten, a suburb of Zurich, to perfect his art.
“They told me to enjoy my time there. “Try to be confident [swagger], play games. No need to worry about proving to others how good you are. We’ve seen what you can do. Focus on your development.” »
Reinbacher was therefore clearly not shaken by the events, and he quickly moved on. Quickly how?
“He came to our training straight from the airport, I think it was easier to combat the jet lag. And at the end of training, he came to me: “Come on, we have to shoot pucks, get used to finding our way,” reveals Steve Kellenberger, captain of Kloten, also Reinbacher’s partner on the blue line. since last year.
PHOTO GUILLAUME LEFRANÇOIS, THE PRESS
David Reinbacher’s teammate and EHC Kloten captain Steve Kellenberger
The 36-year-old veteran discovered a Reinbacher 2.0. “He was here briefly this summer, I felt him nervous, he was thinking about what awaited him at camp. When he came back he was different, he loved his camp and was very motivated. »
Kellenberger gives as an example a play that could seem very banal: a goal scored… in an empty net! “He played with confidence and it showed in his goal. It’s rare for 18-year-old guys to attempt this play, risking a denied clearance to attempt a long shot. We had a good match from the start. It’s a shame he got injured. »
What is most striking when talking to Reinbacher, to those around him, observing his environment, is that his life in Kloten is the most normal, compared to what awaits him if he established himself as a dominant player in the NHL.
First, our meetings with him were relaxed to say the least, far from the press scrums captured by 12 microphones in Brossard. The first meeting, after an intense skating session, took place in a narrow room adjacent to the locker room, where the big defender was smiling while consulting an old team photo that we found, we will come back to that.
Next, two days later, Reinbacher invites us to a pretty bakery located at the central roundabout in Kloten. He opts for the sandwich; us, for a kind of millefeuille, recommended by our interlocutor. The pastry is tough, however, and the pastry cream comes out all over the place. “You can cut it in a few places,” he tells us, in a scene where we wonder who is the forty-year-old and who is the teenager.
Then, the young man divides his time between hockey and work. He had mentioned at the draft that he was studying to become a headhunter. His schedule prevents him from attending his classes at the United School of Sports, which are offered on Fridays. On the other hand, he is doing an internship at INSTEQ, a company with around “twenty employees”, which is located one kilometer from the arena.
“I’m looking for people,” he simplifies. I have a sheet, I’m looking for engineers, scrum masters, and I have to send a list of names to my colleague.
It allows you to take your mind off hockey. You work with people who have normal lives, you see that it’s difficult. You need to be focused for a few hours. Here, my mistakes cost money. In hockey, my mistakes can cost points, but not money. It’s okay, I like challenges.
David Reinbacher
He still lives with his father. Reinbacher is Austrian, but he has been playing in Switzerland since he was a teenager and his father settled there.
Life with dad still comes with responsibilities. After the meeting at the bakery, he was expected at home. “My father has a birthday dinner with his partner, so I have to take the dog out and take care of our two kittens! “, he explains.
Reinbacher fans
On the hockey side, it must be understood that the Swiss national league, although followed assiduously, does not come with the same attention as the NHL and its hotter markets. Reinbacher nevertheless has his fans. He is tipped, after all, for the role of defender no 1 for the club this season.
On Saturday, Kloten hosts the Rapperswil-Jona Lakers. Little Nevio arrives with his brothers, Canadian cap screwed on his head. The parents confirm: it’s for Reinbacher. What does he like about himself? ” His number ! », replies the child.
PHOTO GUILLAUME LEFRANÇOIS, THE PRESS
Three Kloten supporters: Nevio, Karim and Romeo
Meet longtime supporter Thomas Fetz. He wears a number 64 sweater. “1964 is also my year of birth,” he explains. My daughter gave me a number 64 Canadiens jersey, I received it today. Having known that I would be speaking to a journalist from Montreal, I would have put it in! » Mr. Fetz intends to have his two jerseys signed by Reinbacher. “I think I better ask him while he’s playing here!” “, he says, laughing.
PHOTO GUILLAUME LEFRANÇOIS, THE PRESS
A supporter, Thomas Fetz
Injured, Reinbacher did not participate in this match. He therefore attends from the stands. Not from the gateway. Really from the stands, with his girlfriend, in the not very high heights of the Stimo Arena. In complete tranquility, without anyone, every time we looked, coming to ask for a photo.
This down to earth side, this guy who has never forgotten his origins, quickly emerges from interviews with those around him.
It starts with Lenz Moosbrugger, his best friend. The two met at the age of 4, at the arena. Reinbacher is presented with a team photo from EHC Lustenau, “Bambini” level. He immediately recognizes his old friend, who still plays for Lustenau, but now for the professional team.
“We see each other less often because of the distance, but we talk every day,” says Moosbrugger, whom we met at the Lustenau arena. Reinbacher, for example, called him the very night of the draft. “It must have been 3 or 4 a.m. here, but I was still up! “, he remembers.
What does he like about Reinbacher as a friend? “He is always happy and if you have a problem, he talks to you in a positive way to cheer you up. »
Vinzenz Rohrer is another compatriot of Reinbacher. He is also a Canadian prospect (choice of 3e round in 2022) and he spent the season with the Zurich Lions.
“In Lustenau he still has the same group of friends. There is Lenz, and another David, Rohrer tells us, met in the Swiss metropolis.
“Even if there is a lot of enthusiasm around him, in a big market, he remained humble,” continues the striker. He remained friendly, he checks in, he’s not talking about how many interviews he’s given, even if he’s done a million. We spoke to each other at the development camp and he was a good listener. He remained my Austrian friend whom I have known since I was 12 years old. »
Along the same lines, take this response from Reinbacher when asked who he kept in touch with at the Canadiens. “Sean Farrell, Logan Mailloux, Filip Mesar,” he replies.
Nobody from the main team? “I talk more to young people. I think I have to first earn the respect of the older people before talking to them. It’s the same thing here. It takes a little time. You have to work to earn respect. »
Words which echo what the club’s head coach, Gerry Fleming, told us. “David is a special person. He is humble, sometimes almost too much, says the native Montrealer. He likes to redirect the attention to his teammates. He believes in himself, but doesn’t want the spotlight on him. He understands that he is good, but he doesn’t want to seem arrogant. »
His life will change dramatically when he comes to Montreal. Friendships will be enjoyed at a distance. He will no longer have work and studies to take his mind off things. And anonymity will quickly take over.
Reinbacher got his first glimpse of his future life in the hours following the draft, when he was the victim of unedifying comments on social media from fans who did not appreciate his selection by the Canadian.
A few days later, at the end of the development camp, Reinbacher was however warmly welcomed. “I feel at home here,” he said. The wound was closed.
He nevertheless remains on his guard, especially when it comes to family. He refused our request to speak with his father, and asked us not to name his girlfriend, since there too, excesses took place on social networks.
PHOTO GUILLAUME LEFRANÇOIS, THE PRESS
David Reinbacher’s coach, Gerry Fleming
“I think these comments [au repêchage] affected him a little, but the Canadian managed it well. Then the fans welcomed him with open arms and he felt the love, believes Gerry Fleming. It’s part of growing up. It won’t always be a world of unicorns [skittles and rainbows]. Sometimes you’ll be told the real things, especially in Montreal. That’s life. »
Fleming will support him in his development this season. Head coach plans to rely heavily on Reinbacher; the youngster was allowed 20 minutes of play in his last match before getting injured.
Fleming, as a Quebecer who even played nine games with the Canadian in the 1990s, can also provide information on the Montreal market. One of his pieces of advice: “Learn French. »
Reinbacher intends to follow him. “It’s part of the culture and I want to be part of that culture. I hope to have a long career there to be part of this culture. »