West Vancouver’s Sam Reinhart to play for the Stanley Cup

While getting ready for the puck to drop in the Stanley Cup Finals, Florida Panthers forward and West Vancouver product Sam Reinhart is “ready to get back into the fire.”

Reinhart and the Panthers have been waiting since May 24 for the finals to start after making quick work of the Carolina Hurricanes, eliminating them in just four games.

While the Panthers have been fairly dominant since knocking off the league-leading Boston Bruins in the first round, most didn’t expect them to get this far.

Florida snuck into the playoffs at the end of the regular season, finishing eighth in the Eastern Conference, and securing the final playoff spot. Reinhart says the team started to see some results midway through the season and began chipping away.

“As those results slowly start to come, you gain that confidence.”

While this will be Reinhart’s first time playing in the Stanley Cup Final, he’s no stranger to the energy surrounding a deep playoff run.

Growing up in West Vancouver, Reinhart was around for the Vancouver Canucks’ run to the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals, where they ultimately lost against the Boston Bruins in a decisive game seven.

“Just to see the buzz in the city, it was such a fun time to be around, and so inspiring as a young hockey player at the time to be able to see that.”

“I think that’s the similarity I’m kind of seeing as you progress through the playoffs … just how much more attention you get when the team is doing well at this time of the year — from people watching back home and especially from just being in the city around South Florida right now.”

Although Florida isn’t the same hockey market that Vancouver is, Reinhart says the “buzz is certainly noticeable” in The Sunshine State.

“It’s been great to see,” he said. “My fiance and I went into Dick’s Sporting Goods the other day to get some fishing rods and the buzz in there was just great.”

Reinhart tells CityNews he’s getting support from outside of Florida as well, as his father and two brothers who all played in the NHL, have been with him the whole way.

“They’ve been a big support to me,” he said. “Everything that I’ve gone through I had the luxury and fortune of watching them, both my brothers and my dad had gone through it before. I was able to learn lessons from them and how they were able to handle certain situations.”

“I give them all the credit in the world to me being here right now, so they’re going to be in Vegas for sure.”

Over the course of Florida’s playoff run, Reinhart has been a key contributor, posting 11 points in 16 games, tying him for fourth in team scoring.

“We’ve had a long, long time to rest here … and we’re just ready to get back and start playing again.”

Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals is set to start Saturday in Las Vegas at 5 p.m. PST.