University of Minnesota Athletics
Passing Time With "Reiny"; Senior Jerrid Reinholz
12/13/2004 12:00:00 AM | Athletics
Throughout his career it would be pretty safe to say that Reinholz has experienced it all. "I'd say I've been on both ends of the spectrum. I've been on some bad teams, and I've been on some pretty good teams. I've also played with Hobey Baker caliber players to everyday guys. So I've seen it all," stated Reinholz.
Obviously as a senior Reinholz, called "Reiny" by his teammates, is one of the more experienced players on the team, but his experience is different. He seems to be revered by his teammates as a man of wisdom, a man who is generally quiet, but when he speaks, they listen. One may wonder, why is this? As fellow senior Jake Fleming stated, "He brings a lot of experience. I mean, he's the oldest guy on the team."
To some, age may be nothing more than a number, but there is something to be said of being one of the few remaining collegiate hockey players born in the late 1970's. Although Reinholz wouldn't trade the college life for a professional job just yet, he does notice the age gap while skating around or hanging out with some of the 18-or-19 year-old players. At times, it even makes him feel old.
"In a way, sometimes I feel like an old man being around some of the younger guys, but the way I look at is there is nowhere else I'd rather be at this point in my life," Reinholz said on his status as the elder Golden Gopher. "I'm going to school, having fun, but sometimes I'll see the young guys in the locker room and think, wow, when I was a senior in high school these guys were barely teenagers. You really don't notice it on the ice though."
The age and the experience add to Reinholz's reserved personality. He is a man who doesn't stand out, yet plays a critical role to this year's Golden Gopher team. He is the opposite of flashy, being content with playing his role of adding depth at the forward position. Not leading the stat sheets doesn't bother Reinholz, because he lives in the moment and takes the good of any situation that he finds himself in. Teammate Fleming stated, "He has a maturity unlike most guys. I mean he is calmer in certain situations than most guys. Bringing that kind of experience is valuable to this team."
He has seen a lot, done a lot, heard a lot, and basically been around a lot of hockey, but the wisdom he has is not philosophical, it's more just everyday life experience. Reinholz was the top returning player this season in faceoffs, but when asked why he's had success in that facet of the game, he gives a pretty simple answer.
"You have your good games and your bad games obviously, and as far as faceoffs, I think it's more of a mental thing than anything else. I've always felt that if I'm winning a lot of draws, that means I'm in to the game more, and playing my best," said Reinholz, describing his faceoff success.
This was evident in how he handled the 2001-02 season. It was a memorable year in which the Golden Gophers won the first of back-to-back NCAA championships, but a season in which Reinholz had to sit out due to his transfer from UMD. Although it was tough for him to not be able to participate in such a momentous occasion, he took the time off as an opportunity to improve himself athletically in practice and work diligently in the classroom as well.
Speaking of the year he sat out, Reinholz said, "I thought it was going to be a lot harder sitting out a year, but it took a lot of pressure off me. I went to practice everyday, and at the time, didn't really care whom I was playing with as opposed to now, you have to get accustomed to the guys in your line, the ones you play with. It was definitely hard to not play in any games, it makes you more hungry the following year."
Reinholz even gained an appreciation for the time non-athletes get to do homework and work on school related things in his year off. "I never went out of town that year with the team, so I had the weekends off to get my school stuff done," he said. "It was nice to have that free time to get things done. That was a positive."
Reinholz got to taste what his year off was like by contributing to the 2002-03 team that also won the NCAA championship. After the team accomplished that feat he knew he had made the right decision in transferring to the U. It was a difficult decision for Reinholz to make after things didn't work out for him his freshman season at UMD.
"I had the option to go play Division III hockey and not have to sit out a year," he said of the decision-making process. "I didn't want to do that because I felt that I had the ability to play in Division I. I started calling around to different coaches, and I was pretty good friends with (former Golden Gopher) Troy Riddle and he talked to coach Lucia for me. Troy told me to call coach, so I did, and that's where we're at today."
Where we're at today is Reinholz's last year, and it saddens him that his days as a Golden Gopher are numbered. But to him, the memories of his time here are filled with so much more than hockey, more than the championships. For Reinholz, the tough part will be losing the atmosphere and not having the camaraderie that the teams he has played on here have had.
"I'm going to miss hanging out with the guys," Reinholz said. "The tradition they have here at the U is unbelievable, and to be able to experience it, and be a part of it is awesome. Looking back, it comes down to the friends I've met here, the relationships I've built over the years. It will be tough to leave that behind."
Even though the times he has had at the U will fill his memories, the 2002-03 season when Reinholz got to contribute to an NCAA championship will always hold a place in Reinholz's heart.
"Being able to play in that one, after having to sit out and watch the team win in 2002 was unbelievable," he explained. "To experience that is something amazing. You're filled with emotions you can't even explain."
Even though he knows the time will come when his hockey days are done, he is excited to see what this year's team can do. The team's recent No. 1 ranking or the fact that they have exceeded the media's expectations does not surprise him at all. He laughed when some called the team inexperienced or small, because he has seen success and he knows that hard work is what separates a good team from a great team.
"This team has put in a commitment from day one. We didn't really know what we were going to have coming in here, and I think everyone has given it their all so far, and things have fallen in to place. Hopefully we can keep it going and everyone keeps working hard. All I know is that hard work has put us in a good position thus far," explained Reinholz.
Hopefully Reinholz's calm, reserved personality can help keep the Golden Gophers calm as the stakes get higher and the playoffs approach, because in years to come the team won't have the quiet older guy out there with them who has seen it all. No matter what way the Gophers' season ends up, Reinholz will be still relishing his final days playing collegiate hockey, adding to his already decorated list of experiences, passing more time, in what he considers the time of his life.
story by Dominic Ladd, athletic communications student assistant Everyone knows the old expression, "Time flies when you are having fun," but to Golden Gopher senior forward Jerrid Reinholz, nothing is more true. Since transferring to the University of Minnesota after a one-year stint at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, Reinholz has had the time of his life. For him, hockey is not like a job, it's fun, and for him to be able to compete at the collegiate level is a dream come true.
Throughout his career it would be pretty safe to say that Reinholz has experienced it all. "I'd say I've been on both ends of the spectrum. I've been on some bad teams, and I've been on some pretty good teams. I've also played with Hobey Baker caliber players to everyday guys. So I've seen it all," stated Reinholz.
Obviously as a senior Reinholz, called "Reiny" by his teammates, is one of the more experienced players on the team, but his experience is different. He seems to be revered by his teammates as a man of wisdom, a man who is generally quiet, but when he speaks, they listen. One may wonder, why is this? As fellow senior Jake Fleming stated, "He brings a lot of experience. I mean, he's the oldest guy on the team."
To some, age may be nothing more than a number, but there is something to be said of being one of the few remaining collegiate hockey players born in the late 1970's. Although Reinholz wouldn't trade the college life for a professional job just yet, he does notice the age gap while skating around or hanging out with some of the 18-or-19 year-old players. At times, it even makes him feel old.
"In a way, sometimes I feel like an old man being around some of the younger guys, but the way I look at is there is nowhere else I'd rather be at this point in my life," Reinholz said on his status as the elder Golden Gopher. "I'm going to school, having fun, but sometimes I'll see the young guys in the locker room and think, wow, when I was a senior in high school these guys were barely teenagers. You really don't notice it on the ice though."
The age and the experience add to Reinholz's reserved personality. He is a man who doesn't stand out, yet plays a critical role to this year's Golden Gopher team. He is the opposite of flashy, being content with playing his role of adding depth at the forward position. Not leading the stat sheets doesn't bother Reinholz, because he lives in the moment and takes the good of any situation that he finds himself in. Teammate Fleming stated, "He has a maturity unlike most guys. I mean he is calmer in certain situations than most guys. Bringing that kind of experience is valuable to this team."
He has seen a lot, done a lot, heard a lot, and basically been around a lot of hockey, but the wisdom he has is not philosophical, it's more just everyday life experience. Reinholz was the top returning player this season in faceoffs, but when asked why he's had success in that facet of the game, he gives a pretty simple answer.
"You have your good games and your bad games obviously, and as far as faceoffs, I think it's more of a mental thing than anything else. I've always felt that if I'm winning a lot of draws, that means I'm in to the game more, and playing my best," said Reinholz, describing his faceoff success.
This was evident in how he handled the 2001-02 season. It was a memorable year in which the Golden Gophers won the first of back-to-back NCAA championships, but a season in which Reinholz had to sit out due to his transfer from UMD. Although it was tough for him to not be able to participate in such a momentous occasion, he took the time off as an opportunity to improve himself athletically in practice and work diligently in the classroom as well.
Speaking of the year he sat out, Reinholz said, "I thought it was going to be a lot harder sitting out a year, but it took a lot of pressure off me. I went to practice everyday, and at the time, didn't really care whom I was playing with as opposed to now, you have to get accustomed to the guys in your line, the ones you play with. It was definitely hard to not play in any games, it makes you more hungry the following year."
Reinholz even gained an appreciation for the time non-athletes get to do homework and work on school related things in his year off. "I never went out of town that year with the team, so I had the weekends off to get my school stuff done," he said. "It was nice to have that free time to get things done. That was a positive."
Reinholz got to taste what his year off was like by contributing to the 2002-03 team that also won the NCAA championship. After the team accomplished that feat he knew he had made the right decision in transferring to the U. It was a difficult decision for Reinholz to make after things didn't work out for him his freshman season at UMD.
"I had the option to go play Division III hockey and not have to sit out a year," he said of the decision-making process. "I didn't want to do that because I felt that I had the ability to play in Division I. I started calling around to different coaches, and I was pretty good friends with (former Golden Gopher) Troy Riddle and he talked to coach Lucia for me. Troy told me to call coach, so I did, and that's where we're at today."
Where we're at today is Reinholz's last year, and it saddens him that his days as a Golden Gopher are numbered. But to him, the memories of his time here are filled with so much more than hockey, more than the championships. For Reinholz, the tough part will be losing the atmosphere and not having the camaraderie that the teams he has played on here have had.
"I'm going to miss hanging out with the guys," Reinholz said. "The tradition they have here at the U is unbelievable, and to be able to experience it, and be a part of it is awesome. Looking back, it comes down to the friends I've met here, the relationships I've built over the years. It will be tough to leave that behind."
Even though the times he has had at the U will fill his memories, the 2002-03 season when Reinholz got to contribute to an NCAA championship will always hold a place in Reinholz's heart.
"Being able to play in that one, after having to sit out and watch the team win in 2002 was unbelievable," he explained. "To experience that is something amazing. You're filled with emotions you can't even explain."
Even though he knows the time will come when his hockey days are done, he is excited to see what this year's team can do. The team's recent No. 1 ranking or the fact that they have exceeded the media's expectations does not surprise him at all. He laughed when some called the team inexperienced or small, because he has seen success and he knows that hard work is what separates a good team from a great team.
"This team has put in a commitment from day one. We didn't really know what we were going to have coming in here, and I think everyone has given it their all so far, and things have fallen in to place. Hopefully we can keep it going and everyone keeps working hard. All I know is that hard work has put us in a good position thus far," explained Reinholz.
Hopefully Reinholz's calm, reserved personality can help keep the Golden Gophers calm as the stakes get higher and the playoffs approach, because in years to come the team won't have the quiet older guy out there with them who has seen it all. No matter what way the Gophers' season ends up, Reinholz will be still relishing his final days playing collegiate hockey, adding to his already decorated list of experiences, passing more time, in what he considers the time of his life.
story by Dominic Ladd, athletic communications student assistant
