And the rich get richer.
The Portland Winterhawks, already blessed with a ton of talent, are that much better today with the return of potent power forward Nino Niederreiter from the New York Islanders.
The fifth-overall pick in June’s NHL entry draft was reassigned to the ‘Hawks Thursday after scoring one goal and contributing a single assist in nine game with the Islanders.
If he had appeared in a 10th game with the NHL club, the first year of his entry level contract would have kicked in; this way his deal resets for next season.
Niederreiter sniped 36 goals with the Winterhawks last season and despite the fact he’s a late addition to the WHL club, it would be safe to assume he will at least match that total as a sophomore.
In fact, the big (six-foot-two, 203-pound) Swiss forward could very well flirt with the 50-goal mark.
What makes the situation even better for Portland is that Niederreiter is only too happy to return.
“At the end, it’s better for me to go for one more year in juniors, to be a leader there,” he told Long Island’s Newsday.
“Now I know how NHL players have to play, how hard it is to get scoring opportunities.
“I definitely have to work on that. I tried my best on that here, but it wasn’t good enough.”
The Winterhawks, with a 10-2-0-1 record, currently sit tied for first place with the Tri-City Americans in the U.S. Division and first overall in the Western Conference.
l One week after undergoing a preliminary procedure — a heart catheterization — leading to open-heart surgery next Wednesday, Everett Silvertips head coach Craig Hartsburg conducted a practice session with his team.
Hartsburg was back on the ice Wednesday and making the most of his brief visit with his players. The former NHL defenceman and head coach (Chicago, Anaheim and Ottawa) will have surgery to repair an ascending aortic aneurysm and won’t return to the team until at least the Christmas break.
“It’s just fun to be in practice, working with the guys and getting them ready to play Friday night,” Hartsburg told Nick Patterson of the Everett Herald. “It’s good to see him back,” said ‘Tips captain Landon Ferraro.
“Even though it’s just for a little bit, it’s nice to have him back on the ice and giving his opinion.”
Associate head coach Jay Varady and assistant coach Chris Hartsburg will continue to run Everett’s bench during the head man’s absence.
They handled all of the game coaching during the Tips’ previous three contests.
Craig Hartsburg gave Varady and Chris Hartsburg, his son, a passing grade despite the fact the team picked up just one point in the three games.
Ferraro was in full agreement.
“It was a little bit different (not having Craig Hartsburg behind the bench), but Jay and Chris did a good job.
“The results we got had nothing to do with our coaching. They did everything they could have done, it was all our doing,” said Ferraro.
Just notes: The Calgary Hitmen, en route to capturing the WHL crown last season and reaching the league final the year before, played 80 games without being shut out on home ice. The team has now been blanked in two of the last three contests at the Saddledome, including Wednesday’s 3-0 loss to the Kootenay Ice. Certainly, the current version of the Hitmen is not the offensive juggernaut of the last two winters, but as second-year head coach Mike Williamson pointed out to Scott Fisher of the Calgary Sun, “There’s enough talent in our lineup, top to bottom, to create offence. It shouldn’t be as big an issue as it is. But you have to get to the tough areas, put pucks in good areas and work to get it back. And we’re not doing that consistently.” . . . The Red Deer Rebels are one of three WHL teams listed in the latest CHL Top-10 rankings. The Rebels are No. 9, following Nos. 3 and 7 Saskatoon and Portland. The Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL hung onto the top spot . . . Medicine Hat Tigers forward Tyler Pitlick was handed a three-game suspension by the WHL head office this week for a kneeing infraction the 18-year-old received in last Friday’s game at Prince Albert. Pitlick was assessed a kneeing major and game misconduct after a collision with Nathan Deck which left the Raiders defenceman with a torn MCL. Deck will miss four to six weeks with the injury . . . Vancouver Giants centre Craig Cunningham is the WHL player of the week after scoring one goal and adding eight assists in three games. The Giants won all three games as Cunningham also recorded a plus-six rating.
gmeachem@www.reddeeradvocate.com