Player Profile: Sam Reinhart

Sam Reinhart was born in West Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on November sixth, 1995. Reinhart’s father is Paul Reinhart, who was drafted by the Atlanta Flames with the 12^th overall pick in the 1979 NHL Entry Draft. His brothers, Griffin and Max, also played in the NHL. Reinhart played youth hockey for the Hollyburn Huskies of the Pacific Coast Bantam Hockey League during the 2009-10 season. He then made a move to the Vancouver Giants under-18 team in the British Columbia Elite Hockey League. In five games during his one season with the Giants, Reinhart recorded two assists.

Reinhart then made a move to the Kootenay Ice of the Western Hockey League, playing four seasons for the team. During his first season with the Ice, Reinhart scored 28 goals and added 34 assists in 67 regular-season games, as well as scoring a goal and adding an assist in four playoff games. His play allowed the team to elevate him to a leadership role during the final two seasons that Reinhart played for the Ice. Reinhart’s leadership is something that will come up time and time again in his hockey career. Hockey was not the only sport that Reinhart played growing up.

Sam Reinhart has NHL pedigree along with athletic gifts

“I always played tennis growing up,” said Reinhart, now in his fourth full NHL season with the Sabres. “I played with my friends and my brothers. But I haven’t played as much over the past few years because it’s so tough on your body.” “Especially in high school, when I’d get back from junior, those are the best memories I have of the game,” said the second overall pick in 2014, whose father, Paul, played 648 NHL games as a defenceman. “Being able to play on the tennis team with my friends was great. I won a couple of provincial titles with my buddies, so that’s something you’ll never forget.”

Sam Reinhart was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres with the first pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft

Sam Reinhart was drafted by the Buffalo Sabres out of the Kootenay Ice of the Western Hockey League with the second overall pick in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. At 6’2” and 194 lbs., Reinhart was seen as a puck-handling forward with the ability to play both ways. The Florida Panthers selected forward Aaron Ekblad with the first overall pick in this draft. How would Reinhart perform at the NHL level with the Sabres that needed to have playoff success?

Reinhart made his debut for the Buffalo Sabres on October ninth, 2014, against the Columbus Blue Jackets. At 18 years and 338 days old, Reinhart became the sixth youngest player to make his NHL debut for the Sabres. His first NHL point came 16 days later against the San Jose Sharks. In 79 games played for the Sabres during the 2015-16 season, his first full season in the NHL, Reinhart scored 23 goals and added 19 assists.

Sam Reinhart proves his offensive talents right away

During his second season in the NHL, also playing 79 games during the 2016-17 season, Reinhart scored 17 goals and added 30 assists. These 47 points were the third most on the Sabres this season. Reinhart had clearly adjusted to the speed of the NHL game. This is something that is not the easiest thing to do for a young NHL player. In his first two seasons with the Sabres, Reinhart scored 40 goals and added nearly 50 assists.

Winning numerous medals and awards at the junior hockey level, Reinhart wanted to experience the same thing at the NHL level. “That’s the goal,” said the forward who has had several memorable international hockey moments with Team Canada, including winning gold at the 2015 World Junior Championship. “We’re all striving towards that,” Reinhart said about helping the Sabres get back into the Eastern Conference playoffs. Unfortunately for the Sabres, Reinhart could not do this in their jersey.

Sam Reinhart was traded to the Florida Panthers

After seven seasons with the Sabres, Reinhart was traded to the Florida Panthers for goaltender prospect Devon Levi and a first-round draft pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. The Sabres entered another rebuild with this trade. Reinhart was excited about having a chance to play in meaningful games. In 454 games played for the Sabres, Reinhart scored 295 points. Superstar forward Jack Eichel would be the next Sabre to be traded.

“It’s very exciting, to say the least,” Reinhart said. “I’ve actually been fortunate enough to play with guys already on the roster. I’ve been in contact with a bunch of guys already, coaches, I’m absolutely thrilled and motivated to come to a group that’s hungry, trying to make it to the next step. They have, in my mind, the most motivated player coming into an organization like that that’s trying to make that next step and win some meaningful games.”

Sam Reinhart wins Stanley Cup with Florida Panthers

The Florida Panthers have recently become the powerhouse of the NHL. The team won two straight Stanley Cups after the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons. These Stanley Cup wins were the first two in the history of the franchise. Sam Reinhart was one of the most valuable Panthers on the team’s roster at that point. In those two playoff runs, Reinhart scored 21 goals and added 18 assists. However, the physicality of the grind of an NHL season, as well as back-to-back playoff pushes, was beginning to take its toll on the Panthers.

The Panthers took a step back during the 2025-26 season. They finished in seventh place in the Atlantic Division with 84 points. Injuries were a major factor in this step back. Reinhart played in 64 games for the Panthers, missing the final 17 games of the season with a foot injury. Reinhart should be able to return to the Panthers’ lineup for the opening night of the 2026-27 season when the team plays the Carolina Hurricanes on September 20^th. At 30 years old, Reinhart is going into year three of an eight-year contract that he signed with the Panthers.