You could say that Bakersfield Condors Defenseman Griffin Reinhart was born to play hockey, in fact it is a game that runs deep in his family.
Both his dad and two brothers have played or are playing in the NHL.
His dad, Paul Reinhart, played for the Atlanta Flames, Calgary Flames, and the Vancouver Cannucks. He later retired at the age of 29 in 1990 due to chronic back pain.
His older brother, Max, is currently under contract with Kolner Haie of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga in Germany. He previously played in the NHL and made his debut with the Calgary Flames in 2013.
"I think the biggest help is that he is able to separate being a dad and being a hockey advisor," Griffin said. "I think he does that really well."
His younger brother, Sam, is currently playing with the Buffalo Sabres. He went 2nd overall in the draft back in 2014.
Griffin came to Condorstown two yeas ago, after the Oilers organization traded a first round draft pick for him. Last year, he appeared in 30 games with Edmonton, something he called a great learning experience.
"Just learning about the quickness, the assertiveness, the intensity you need to play at that level," Griffin said. "I took that away in the off-season, I think I had a good offseason and I think my year is starting to reflect that.":
Griffin has made some noise so far this year, including his overtime winner during the Outdoor Classic.
He's a player that Head Coach Gerry Fleming said is considered to be an impact player.
"Throughout the play-offs yes, for the push to get in the play-offs, throughout the play-offs and hopefully someday an impact player in the NHL," Fleming said.
