Scout
05-22-2008, 10:40 PM
Reich establishes himself with Bruins
BY STEVEN MAH
Southwest Booster Sports
Former Swift Current Broncos forward Jeremy Reich established himself as an everyday player with the Boston Bruins in the National Hockey League this season after spending almost eight seasons in the American Hockey League.
The 39th overall pick of the Chicago Blackhawks in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft played in 58 regular season games for the Bruins who were eliminated in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the Montreal Canadians.
"I thought it went well, it is obviously disappointing that we lost out in the first round," said Reich. "We played through it all season, I think we were predicted to finish last in our Conference. The season for myself I think went pretty good, I started off pretty slow but I thought that I ended strong."
The Craik native scored two goals and added two assists and 78 penalty minutes with the Bruins after splitting time with the big club and the Providence Bruins of the AHL last season.
"Basically it was just getting the opportunity. I think that if you play in the East Coast they just label you an East Coaster and it is the same way in the NHL as well. You just need to play the games and go out and prove yourself that you can play in the league."
Marc Habscheid was an assistant coach under Dave Lewis with the Bruins during the 2006-07 season when Reich first joined the team.
Habscheid explained how Reich was able to stick with the big club.
"Guts and glory. He is a guy that never gave up. He is a consummate teammate, and he just had the ultimate attitude, I think that is what has carried him. Those are the guys you're really pulling for because he had the deck stacked against him a lot of times. He is not the most gifted hockey player, and he is not your biggest player so it was hard for him to make it to the NHL. He just refused to quit and just kept going. I know last year he came up and hadn't been called up for a few years and his total ice time that one game in Carolina was 30 seconds and he got sent down to the minors and never complained or anything. He was brought back up a week later and never went back down again because he kept the attitude, was positive with his teammates, he deserved to play in the NHL through what he did."
A number of people helped Reich get to the NHL.
"My coaches through junior with Todd (McClellan) in Swift Current and my coaches in Providence with Scott Gordon and Rob Murray. Obviously my family helped me out along the way. Friends and family too are a big part of it support-wise."
On Dec. 15th Reich notched his first career NHL goal after 61 games with the game-winning goal in a 2-0 win over the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets.
"It was against Columbus which was kind of bittersweet because it was one of the teams that I started with when I first got called up four or five years ago and played nine games up there. I just kind of took a shot off the wing that missed the net and then the centreman Petteri Nokelainen just made a play out to me in front and the goalie was caught out of position and I had half the net to shoot at."
Reich has fond memories of his time with the Broncos where he amassed 156 points and 434 penalty minutes over 161 games from 1997-2000.
"Swift Current was one of the best places in Saskatchewan to play I think. The whole city is so into hockey and passionate about the team. The city was smaller, I know it has grown since I was there, but it was small and all the guys hung out together and you form good teams when the guys hang out with each other all the time. I still keep in touch with the guys, Tony Mohagen is one of my good friends obviously. A couple of other guys like Lawrence Nycholet I keep in touch with him and a few other guys that I run in to quite a bit. Layne Ulmer is another one of my good friends."
After a breakout season in which the Bruins finished 41-29-12, Reich is looking forward to next season.
"We only have a couple of free agents and I don't know what is going to happen with those three or four. We have pretty much most of the guys coming back that played last year. Our General Manager at the trade deadline didn't really trade anybody. There were a lot of rumours going around but he felt that we were a pretty close knit group of guys and we had played well to that point so he kept us together. It paid off because we were out of the playoffs at that time or just barely hanging on. One of our goalies, Manny Fernandez, was out last year, he's coming back next year so he should help out a lot. We have a lot of core guys coming back so it should be a good season.
According to the Hockey News, Reich made $487,500 last season on a team with 15 players earning over $1 million including defenseman Zdeno Chara's $7.5 million salary.
Habscheid says players like Reich earn their pay cheque the hard way.
"He is a guy that even though it is not fair sometimes those types of players get overlooked. I just let him know that he was appreciated for what he did and those things that people don't see like being a good teammate and having a good attitude those were things that were very much noticed and just to stay with them and don't get disheartened and when you get your chance he is a good enough player that he can make it count and he did. I couldn't be happier for him because he deserved it. His type of role isn't an easy role to play on the fourth line and create energy and like I said he is not very big but he has a big heart and fights a lot of guys who are bigger then him and does very well. He makes good money now and he earns it too."
In a February edition of Sports Illustrated teammate Marc Savard named Reich his American Idol in a feature called the Pop Culture Grid. Reich laughed when asked to explain the dubious distinction.
"I've been asked that a few times. I live close to Marc during the season so we ride to the rink together, there are about three or four of us that car pool. It is about 25 minutes to the practice rink so he has probably heard me sing a few times and that is why he said that answer."
BY STEVEN MAH
Southwest Booster Sports
Former Swift Current Broncos forward Jeremy Reich established himself as an everyday player with the Boston Bruins in the National Hockey League this season after spending almost eight seasons in the American Hockey League.
The 39th overall pick of the Chicago Blackhawks in the 1997 NHL Entry Draft played in 58 regular season games for the Bruins who were eliminated in the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs by the Montreal Canadians.
"I thought it went well, it is obviously disappointing that we lost out in the first round," said Reich. "We played through it all season, I think we were predicted to finish last in our Conference. The season for myself I think went pretty good, I started off pretty slow but I thought that I ended strong."
The Craik native scored two goals and added two assists and 78 penalty minutes with the Bruins after splitting time with the big club and the Providence Bruins of the AHL last season.
"Basically it was just getting the opportunity. I think that if you play in the East Coast they just label you an East Coaster and it is the same way in the NHL as well. You just need to play the games and go out and prove yourself that you can play in the league."
Marc Habscheid was an assistant coach under Dave Lewis with the Bruins during the 2006-07 season when Reich first joined the team.
Habscheid explained how Reich was able to stick with the big club.
"Guts and glory. He is a guy that never gave up. He is a consummate teammate, and he just had the ultimate attitude, I think that is what has carried him. Those are the guys you're really pulling for because he had the deck stacked against him a lot of times. He is not the most gifted hockey player, and he is not your biggest player so it was hard for him to make it to the NHL. He just refused to quit and just kept going. I know last year he came up and hadn't been called up for a few years and his total ice time that one game in Carolina was 30 seconds and he got sent down to the minors and never complained or anything. He was brought back up a week later and never went back down again because he kept the attitude, was positive with his teammates, he deserved to play in the NHL through what he did."
A number of people helped Reich get to the NHL.
"My coaches through junior with Todd (McClellan) in Swift Current and my coaches in Providence with Scott Gordon and Rob Murray. Obviously my family helped me out along the way. Friends and family too are a big part of it support-wise."
On Dec. 15th Reich notched his first career NHL goal after 61 games with the game-winning goal in a 2-0 win over the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets.
"It was against Columbus which was kind of bittersweet because it was one of the teams that I started with when I first got called up four or five years ago and played nine games up there. I just kind of took a shot off the wing that missed the net and then the centreman Petteri Nokelainen just made a play out to me in front and the goalie was caught out of position and I had half the net to shoot at."
Reich has fond memories of his time with the Broncos where he amassed 156 points and 434 penalty minutes over 161 games from 1997-2000.
"Swift Current was one of the best places in Saskatchewan to play I think. The whole city is so into hockey and passionate about the team. The city was smaller, I know it has grown since I was there, but it was small and all the guys hung out together and you form good teams when the guys hang out with each other all the time. I still keep in touch with the guys, Tony Mohagen is one of my good friends obviously. A couple of other guys like Lawrence Nycholet I keep in touch with him and a few other guys that I run in to quite a bit. Layne Ulmer is another one of my good friends."
After a breakout season in which the Bruins finished 41-29-12, Reich is looking forward to next season.
"We only have a couple of free agents and I don't know what is going to happen with those three or four. We have pretty much most of the guys coming back that played last year. Our General Manager at the trade deadline didn't really trade anybody. There were a lot of rumours going around but he felt that we were a pretty close knit group of guys and we had played well to that point so he kept us together. It paid off because we were out of the playoffs at that time or just barely hanging on. One of our goalies, Manny Fernandez, was out last year, he's coming back next year so he should help out a lot. We have a lot of core guys coming back so it should be a good season.
According to the Hockey News, Reich made $487,500 last season on a team with 15 players earning over $1 million including defenseman Zdeno Chara's $7.5 million salary.
Habscheid says players like Reich earn their pay cheque the hard way.
"He is a guy that even though it is not fair sometimes those types of players get overlooked. I just let him know that he was appreciated for what he did and those things that people don't see like being a good teammate and having a good attitude those were things that were very much noticed and just to stay with them and don't get disheartened and when you get your chance he is a good enough player that he can make it count and he did. I couldn't be happier for him because he deserved it. His type of role isn't an easy role to play on the fourth line and create energy and like I said he is not very big but he has a big heart and fights a lot of guys who are bigger then him and does very well. He makes good money now and he earns it too."
In a February edition of Sports Illustrated teammate Marc Savard named Reich his American Idol in a feature called the Pop Culture Grid. Reich laughed when asked to explain the dubious distinction.
"I've been asked that a few times. I live close to Marc during the season so we ride to the rink together, there are about three or four of us that car pool. It is about 25 minutes to the practice rink so he has probably heard me sing a few times and that is why he said that answer."