Reign: Reinhardt dealt to Grizzlies. Update.

Dale Reinhardt, the diminutive but clutch forward who sparked the Reign after coming to Ontario in a midseason trade, has been dealt to the Utah Grizzlies for future considerations.

From the Grizzlies’ team Web site:

West Valley City, Utah – Utah Grizzlies Head Coach and Director of Hockey Operations Kevin Colley announced today that the team has acquired forward Dale Reinhardt from the Ontario Reign in exchange for future considerations.

Reinhardt, 23, split last season between the Bakersfield Condors and the Reign totaling 11 goals and 17 assists for 28 points in 64 games. He signed with Bakersfield out of college at Holy Cross University in March of 2008 and totaled five goals and two assists for seven points in nine games to finish that season.

“Dale adds to our team identity with his model of hardwork,” said Colley. “He has potential to add quite a bit of offense for us this year.”

At Holy Cross, the New Jersey native left with 118 points (46 goals, 72 assists) in 138 games. At the time of his departure, he was seventh all-time in assists and eighth all-time in goals and scoring at the school.

“I’m looking forward to coming to Utah and contributing to a winning team,” said Reinhardt. “I played with and was a linemate with James Sixsmith (Grizzlies 08-09) for three years in college and we are best of friends.”

The Reign host Utah twice this year, on February 26 and 27. Given the 5-foot-9 forward’s resume, you might want to give him a hand before each. In his second game in an Ontario uniform, he scored the game-winning goal against Idaho on January 3 and added another game-winner against Alaska in February. He also carried one of the best nicknames in the locker room: “Goat.”

Reign coach Karl Taylor called Reinhardt “a great fill-in guy last year for us.”

“He did a solid job for us, but come the start of the season we want to be bigger and stronger,” Taylor said. “Dale was a little vertically challenged — nothing you can do about that — but we wanted to be stronger and bigger. We didn’t want him to come here and have him not have a home. I wanted to make a decision now to get him off on the right foot.”

In Utah, the coach said Reinhardt “will have more ice time and a better opportunity than he would here at the start of the season.”

This entry was posted in Ontario Reign/ECHL by J.P. Hoornstra. Bookmark the permalink.

About J.P. Hoornstra

J.P. Hoornstra covers the Dodgers, Angels and Major League Baseball for the Orange County Register, Los Angeles Daily News, Long Beach Press-Telegram, Torrance Daily Breeze, San Gabriel Valley Tribune, Pasadena Star-News, San Bernardino Sun, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, Whittier Daily News and Redlands Daily Facts. Before taking the beat in 2012, J.P. covered the NHL for four years. UCLA gave him a degree once upon a time; when he graduated on schedule, he missed getting Arnold Schwarzenegger's autograph on his diploma by five months.