The second-year pro dresses for the game vs Columbus but remains on the bench the entire 60 minutes.
By Jen Neale / Puck Daddy
BUFFALO, N.Y. — File this away under ‘things you don’t see every day.’
Buffalo Sabres forward Sam Reinhart dressed for the game against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night.
After the anthems, the teams took their seats on the bench as usual, and that’s where Reinhart stayed for the entire 60 minutes of the game.
In his post-game media scrum, head coach Dan Bylsma commented on Reinhart.
From John Vogl of The Buffalo News:
“Earlier in the day, Sam Reinhart violated a team policy, and the discipline was not playing in tonight’s game,” said Buffalo coach Dan Bylsma, who declined to elaborate on the infraction. “We’re going to move forward from here. Disappointing, but it happened and we dealt with it. We’re going to move on from here.”
The message is “for everyone. We’re part of a team. We do things as a team. That’s hopefully the lesson.”
The Sabres declined to make Reinhart available for comment.
A source told Vogl that Reinhart had been late to a team meeting at the hotel.
Vogl added the perspective of team captain (and Greece native) Brian Gionta:
“It’s tough, but we’re trying to build something here and we’re trying to maintain a culture. By no means was it something huge, but it’s something that is against what we’re trying to get to and be as a team.
“It’s not fun either way. It doesn’t matter how it plays out. He’s a good kid. He’s going to learn from it. We’ll be better as a group for it.
“It’s for everybody. It’s not just Sam. It’s everybody. It’s keeping everybody to the same level, and that’s what we want to do. We’re building a culture here, so everybody needs to learn from it.
“It’s a huge part moving forward. It’s about the long term of this franchise and where we go and how we grow as a team and as an organization. While it’s a small hiccup tonight, it’s better in the long run for what we’re trying to get to.”
In a normal situation, Reinhart would have been in the press box; however, Kyle Okposo fell ill before the game. The team had no extra forwards to put on the ice in Reinhart’s place, so he dressed and sat. (In the NHL teams must dress 18 players.)
With the final games in sight and the Sabres out of the playoffs, the offseason couldn’t come soon enough. Reports out of Buffalo had Bylsma and the players at odds throughout the season.
Who knows if that will result in Disco Dan keeping his job or not.
UPDATE — Sam Reinhart spoke with reporters following Thursday’s practice. He said, “It was a mistake.” He added that he misread the text about the team stretch. It said 10:30 and he thought it was 11. He showed up 5-6 minutes late.
“It was a tough one to swallow,” Reinhart said. “I thought I’ve been a pretty good team guy the last two years.”
EDITOR’S NOTE — Messages apparently are being sent throughout the organization as on Sunday in Rochester, second-year pro Justin Bailey was a healthy scratch for the first time this season. Baily, who was re-assigned by the Sabres to Rochester on March 23 following a recent callup, is third on the Americans in scoring with 19 goals. Rochester won its third straight game with a 2-0 victory over the Springfield Thunderbirds, without Bailey in the lineup.
Buffalo has reached its limit in recalls, and only can recall someone, for the remainder of the season, on an emergency basis.
Bailey was injured while blocking a shot against the San Jose Sharks on March 14, and did not play for Buffalo in the game on March 16 in Los Angeles. He returned to the lineup on March 20 in Detroit and played at home against Pittsburgh on March 21. He was a -1 in both of those games.