CALGARY, AB. - The Western Hockey League announced today that Kootenay Ice forward Max Reinhart is the WHL Player of the Week.
Reinhart scored six goals and maintained a +3 rating in two games over the last week, helping the Ice capture the Husky WHL Eastern Conference Championship with a 4-0 series win over the Medicine Hat Tigers.
On Tuesday, April 26th, the Ice played host to the Medicine Hat Tigers at the Rec Plex in Cranbrook holding a 2-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference Championship. Reinhart scored one goal and was named the games 2nd Star as the Ice downed the Tigers 3-1. The next night, Wednesday, April 27th, Reinhart scored an incredible five goals and was named the games 1st Star as the Ice defeated the Tigers 7-2. Reinhart’s five goals in a single playoff game match the WHL record currently held by Dave Chartier (BDN, 1981), Don Nachbaur (BIL, 1978) and Dave Kryskow (EDM, 1971).
The Kootenay Ice have advanced to the WHL Championship Series with a 4-0 series victory of the Medicine Hat Tigers in the Husky WHL Eastern Conference Championship. The Ice will open up the WHL Championship Series in either Portland or Spokane on Friday, May 6th, pending the outcome of the Kal Tire WHL Western Conference Championship.
Reinhart, a 19-year-old (born 1992) from Vancouver, BC, is playing his third full season with the Kootenay Ice. The Ice made him their 4th round selection at the 2007 WHL Bantam Draft and was selected in the 3rd round (64th overall) in the 2010 NHL Draft by the Calgary Flames. Reinhart set career highs in all offensive categories through the 2010-11 season collecting 79 points (34 goals, 45 assists) in 71 games. He also currently sits 2nd among all WHL scorers in the 2011 WHL Playoffs scoring 14 goals, 8 assists for 22 points in 14 games played thus far.
The WHL has also nominated Nathan Lieuwen of the Kootenay Ice for the CHL Goaltender of the Week Award. Lieuwen posted a 2-0-0-0 record this past week, stopping 43 of 46 shots faced for a 1.50 goals-against average and 0.935 save percentage. Lieuwen, a native of Abbotsford, BC, helped the Ice emerge with a 4-0 series win over the Medicine Hat Tigers in the Husky WHL Eastern Conference Final.