By Tim Ubels (Contributor) – Email
Print Edition: January 22, 2014
The Abbotsford Heat finished their six-game road trip on a positive note, defeating the Grand Rapids Griffins 3-2 in Michigan. The Heat managed to go .500 over that span, despite being outscored 20-11. The victory featured a three-point performance from Max Reinhart, who continued his solid play with a goal and two assists on Saturday night. Bouncing back from their Friday night shutout loss at the hands of the Griffins, the Heat showed great poise, gaining the 3-2 lead and holding it through the entire third period.
Carter Bancks opened the scoring with a short-handed marker at 10:46 of the first period, going five-hole on Griffins goaltender Tom McCollum. The Griffins quickly countered as Nathan Paetsch knotted things up at a goal apiece 43 seconds later, only to have Reinhart give the Heat the lead again heading into the second frame. A disallowed Heat goal kept them from adding an insurance marker, as referee Trevor Hanson deemed that a Heat player made illegal contact with McCollum. The teams traded goals in the second period, as Xavier Ouellet for the Griffins and Markus Granlund for the Heat each added a goal in the second, with Granlund’s being the eventual game-winning tally. Heat goalie Joni Ortio turned aside 31 of 33 shots, as he refused to crack under the pressure from the Griffins offense in the third period, preserving the 3-2 lead. Ortio now has 17 wins on the season, and the Heat improve to 27-14-1-1.
Family business
With brothers Griffin and Sam performing in the spotlight this past month, as they donned their team Canada jerseys at the World Junior Hockey Championship, Max Reinhart of the Abbotsford Heat has quietly established himself as one of the Heat’s most consistent young forwards in this 2013-14 season. His notable sophomore campaign includes 30 points in 35 games and a midseason call-up to the Flames when Curtis Glencross went down with an injury, bringing his total to 15 career games with the big-league team. Look for Reinhart to get another shot with the Flames before the season is out, as his progression on the ice as well as results on the scoreboard bode well for his chances.
Michael Ferland out for the season
Abbotsford Heat rookie Michael Ferland will undergo season-ending knee surgery next week as a result of his mid-December injury. After a tough offensive start to the season, Ferland suited up for 25 games this season, picking up 18 points for the Heat in the last 14 games. The 6’2 forward uses both his size and skill to create offensive chances and was really beginning to gel with his teammates since November. The Heat are 6-7 since he last dressed.
Begin retires
Before getting the chance to ever play for the Heat, journeyman forward Steve Begin decided to call it a career after 15 seasons at the professional level. He tweeted to his followers on January 16 that he “won’t have the chance to be back playing this year. This news sadly puts an end to my hockey career.” Begin, 35, signed with the Flames last season and played 36 games post-lockout, picking up four goals and four assists. A nagging hip injury, which he suffered during training camp this season, kept the heart-and-soul grinder out of action.
Comets streak into town
The Canucks-affiliated Utica Comets are back in town to face off against the road-weary Heat for a Friday and Saturday doubleheader at the AESC this weekend. The puck drops at 7 p.m., and fans can either tune in on CIVL 101.7 FM or at civl.ca.
