When many professional athletes contemplate retirement, the thought is often accompanied by a pall of uncertainty surrounding one’s next chapter in life. For newly-minted DU Men’s Hockey Assistant Coach Steven Reinprecht, such a concern never materialized.
Reinprecht retired in April following an 18-year professional career and joined the Pioneer’s staff in June. For the 42-year-old, coaching at DU is simply the culmination of a long-held desire to coach collegiate hockey.
The Canadian center played over 600 games with five NHL franchises, including the Colorado Avalanche, with whom he won a Stanley Cup in 2001. After his NHL career, Reinprecht embarked on a successful stint in the German Deutsche Eishockey Liga (DEL), where he averaged more than a point-per-game and saw his jersey retired by the Thomas Sabo Ice Tigers.
Before turning pro, Reinprecht honed his game at the University of Wisconsin, where he captained the Badgers for two years and led the team in points three times.
He was inducted into the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2014 and credits the team’s coaching staff with helping him make the leap from an undrafted junior player to a two-way contributor at the game’s highest level.
He was inducted into the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2014 and credits the team’s coaching staff with helping him make the leap from an undrafted junior player to a two-way contributor at the game’s highest level.
“For me, college was the perfect way because it allowed me to develop physically,” said Reinprecht. “I was kind of a slower body and I was always a little smaller, and that extra four years from 19 to 23 being still in college helped me grow physically and get stronger.”
At Wisconsin, Reinprecht played under Head Coach Jeff Sauer from 1996 to 2000, whose staff included longtime assistants Mark Johnson and Pat Ford. Reinprecht now acknowledges that the relationships forged with the Badger coaching staff during this time influenced him to pursue an NCAA coaching career of his own.
“I really learned a lot there about hockey and about becoming a man, growing up,” said Reinprecht. “I wanted to be in that kind of position to help student-athletes become better hockey players and better people, and I think having that experience at Wisconsin sparked that idea that I wanted to coach in college hockey.”
Though many NHL players make the transition to the professional ranks after the culmination of their junior careers, college hockey is becoming an increasingly fertile pipeline for NHL talent.
College Hockey Inc, a nonprofit that promotes NCAA Division I hockey to prospective players and fans, found that players with collegiate experience comprised 32 percent of the NHL in 2017, the highest recorded figure in the site’s history.
“College is great; it teaches you responsibility, gives you a solid workout regimen and its great hockey,” said Reinprecht.
The Pioneers, who return 15 players from last year’s NCHC tournament-winning squad, will feature six NHL draft picks this season – five of whom are freshman. But as the undrafted Reinprecht is quick to point out, the NHL draft is just one path to the League.
“It shows more and more that you don’t need to be drafted to make the NHL,” said Reinprecht. “Whether you’re drafted or not, if you work hard, play well, you never know what could happen.”
Reinprecht even noted that there are certain advantages to not being drafted, such as retaining the ability to choose what team to sign with.
“If you’re a draft pick you’re limited in the sense that you’re with that team,” said Reinprecht. “And maybe they’re full in your position or they’re coming off a Stanley Cup win when they don’t have any opportunity for a player coming out of college.”
“If you’re a free agent and you have a few teams interested in you then you might be able to sign with the team who has the best opportunity for you to make the NHL roster.”
Though Reinprecht said he would make himself available to any player that sought guidance regarding the different facets of a professional career, he also focuses on the day-to-day aspects of coaching. Known as a two-way ace throughout his career, Reinprecht has been helping the Pioneers with face-offs, skill development, and learning first-year head coach Dave Carle’s system.
Praising this year’s freshman class, Reinprecht is excited to see new and returning Pioneers in expanded roles with the team.
“I think there should be some excitement not just around the freshman class, but around the whole team,” said Reinprecht. “The Pioneers lost quite a few players over the summer, but it gives a lot of people chances and important minutes and I think the freshman will be included in that group.”
The Pioneers will open their season on Oct. 6 with an exhibition game against the University of Alberta at Magness Arena. Their first NCAA contest will take place at Air Force on Oct. 12 at 7:00 p.m MST.
