MISSISSAUGA, Ont. -- Sam Reinhart spent plenty of time growing up in Vancouver playing hockey in an upstairs playroom with brothers Max and Griffin. The sons of longtime NHL defenceman Paul Reinhart broke a few windows, but it was worth it as they grew up in the game. Max was a third-round pick of the Calgary Flames in 2010, but it took Sam seeing Griffin put on a New York Islanders jersey as the fourth overall pick in 2012 to start to visualize what his draft-day moment could be like. Thatll come June 27 in Philadelphia as Sam Reinhart is expected to be one of the top three picks. Once that sinks in and Reinhart goes about preparing for his first NHL training camp, he will draw from the experience he had in early May with Canadas world hockey championship team. The Kootenay Ice forward thinks hes ready for the pros because he joined Team Canada for its training camp and exhibition game against Switzerland in Zurich. "I got a little taste of it at the international level for a couple days in Switzerland," he said Friday at the NHLs annual scouting combine. "It was pretty amazing to see how I handled practice one compared to practice three and really picked up the pace and felt comfortable pretty quick out there." Reinhart had to think quick well before he ever stepped onto the ice. He got the call from Hockey Canada on Friday night and needed to decide whether to get on a plane to Europe Saturday afternoon. "It was a pretty quick turnaround to kind of drop everything and go over there," the 18-year-old centre said. "It was a tough decision at the time but really turned out to be a positive experience. Its really paying off right now." Reinhart didnt have much more to prove. He had represented Canada the under-18 world championships twice, winning gold in 2013, and then was on this past years world-junior team. Named WHL player of the year for putting up 105 points in 60 games with the Ice, Reinhart is third among North American skaters in NHL Central Scoutings final rankings. But it didnt hurt Reinhart to show what he could do surrounded by players who will soon be his peers. He already knew Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Morgan Rielly, Flames centre Sean Monahan and Canucks defenceman Jason Garrison, but being on the ice with them in that environment was a different story. "He didnt look out of place," Team Canada coach Dave Tippett said in a phone interview Friday afternoon. "He carried himself like a pro player. He picked up the things we were trying to do in the drills very well. The biggest thing you could tell, and its probably a little bit because of his upbringing -- he wasnt intimidated by the situation at all and just jumped in there and played." Even though Reinhart was an extra forward for the exhibition game, Tippett liked how he made the most out of his eight or nine minutes of ice time. Had an injury occurred before the team left Zurich, there was some discussion about adding Reinhart to the team, which wouldve made him the youngest by two months over Nathan MacKinnon. Reinhart worked to show what he could do if that happened. "Youre not going in with the mind-set that youre coming home in a couple days," he said. "You know obviously the odds are you will. But you never know what happens at that point." Ultimately, Reinhart got sent home while the Canadian team went on to Minsk. But not before he made a positive impression on Tippett and his staff. "Hes a mature kid," Tippett said. "Obviously I think being from a family that has grown up around pro hockey, that helps the situation. You could tell that he wasnt in awe of the situation at all. He just got in there and got to work and fit in well with the group." Reinhart is part of a bigger group at this weeks combine outside Toronto as one of 117 of the top prospects going through interviews and then fitness testing Saturday. Along with Kingston centre Sam Bennett and Barrie defenceman Aaron Ekblad, though, Reinhart is part of the small faction of potential No. 1 selections, whether the Florida Panthers keep or trade the pick. The six-foot-one, 186-pound playmaker is known for his hockey sense and vision. Of course there are things he feels like he needs to get better at, including lower-body strength. "It just doesnt happen over a summer, Ive been focusing on it for a long time now and I feel confident with it," Reinhart said. Another question is his speed, but if Reinhart himself was at all worried, Zurich made him feel better. "I felt with the pace over there I kept up pretty well," he said. "I felt really confident with it, leading into the next day and it was amazing how much you improved." Golden State Warriors Store . As if the individual strands of grey hair or the increasing amount of joint pain werent reminders enough, the impending end of Jeters career is a slap-in-the-face indicator of a generations fleeting youth. Fred Hetzel Jersey . -- Canadian mens rugby coach Kieran Crowley has made four changes to his starting roster for Saturdays Pacific Nations Cup clash against the United States. https://www.cheapwarriors.com/1219o-will...y-warriors.html. The 18-year-old Januzaj has made his breakthrough at United this season, including scoring twice in a 2-1 win over Sunderland before the recent international break. His performances have sparked a debate about where his international future lies. Sleepy Floyd Jersey . -- Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Sidney Rice tweeted an apparent goodbye after a report about his pending release. Larry Smith Jersey . The 26-year-old Redditch, England, native played three of his past four seasons under Rennie with the Carolina RailHawks of the North American Soccer League. BUFFALO, N.Y. -- First, Ryan Miller. Now, Pat LaFontaine. A day after trading their star goalie to St. Louis, the Buffalo Sabres lost another face of their franchise after LaFontaine abruptly resigned as president of hockey operations on Saturday a little more than three months after being brought in to provide a new direction to the NHLs last-place team. The Sabres announced the decision in a news release issued after speculation had been raised of a potential front-office shake-up involving LaFontaine. "I would like to thank Pat for all he has done for the organization," Sabres owner Terry Pegula said in the release. "Pat joined us at a very difficult time, and helped transition the organization down a new path." The Sabres said LaFontaine would be returning to his previous role working with the National Hockey League. LaFontaine had been working with the league on player safety issues before being hired by the Sabres in mid-November. The former Sabres captains arrival was hailed as a major turning point for a struggling team. LaFontaine took over following a change in the front office during which general manager Darcy Regier and coach Ron Rolston were dismissed following the Sabres 4-15-1 start. LaFontaines first move was hiring former Sabres coach Ted Nolan to take over as coach on an interim basis for the remainder of the season. LaFontaines next step came in January, when he hired Tim Murray as general manager. "Terry Pegula hired me in November, and my primary objective was to lead the Sabres organization through a time of transition," LaFontaine said in the Sabres release. "Im proud of what weve been able to accomplish in a short period of time, and want to thank Terry and Kim Pegula for the opportunity and their support during my time with the Sabres." LaFontaines resignation still comes as a major surprise. In January, LaFontaine talked openly about how he would use his connections to USA Hockey in a bid to lure national and international events to Buffalo. He leaves a day after Murray made his first big splash by trading star goalie Ryan Miller and captain Steve Ott to the St. Louis Blues. In exchange, the Sabres acquired goalie Jaroslav Halak, forward Chris Stewart, prospect William Carrier, a 2015 first-round pick and a connditional 2016 third-round pick in a deal reached in advance of the NHL trade deadline on Wednesday.dddddddddddd The Sabres (18-34-8) had the day off on Saturday, and return to practice on Sunday before travelling to play at Dallas on Monday. They remain in last place, but are enjoying their first three-game winning streak following a 4-2 win over the San Jose Sharks on Friday. This is not the first time LaFontaine has abruptly stepped down as an NHL team executive. In July 2006, LaFontaine quit the New York Islanders a little over a month after being brought in to serve as senior adviser to owner Charles Wang. In Buffalo, LaFontaines absence was notable this week once the team returned to the ice following the leagues Olympic break. He was not spotted in the press box during the Sabres three-game homestand that began with a 3-2 win over Carolina on Tuesday. That was unusual because LaFontaine had previously spent time watching games from the press-box level in Pegulas box, alongside Murray and several of the owners associates. LaFontaine also missed the teams "Power Play Luncheon" for fans on Friday, when he was scheduled to speak along with fellow former Sabres greats Gilbert Perreault, Rene Robert and Danny Gare. The crowd was informed LaFontaine had the flu. The Sabres have become a top-heavy organization since Regiers dismissal. Pegula created the position of president of hockey operations to hire LaFontaine. And Pegula did so only after LaFontaine declined a chance to become the GM by saying he didnt think he had enough experience for that job. Along with hiring Murray, the Sabres also brought in Hockey Hall of Fame member and long-time executive Craig Patrick to serve as a special adviser. LaFontaine backed the hiring of Murray and Patrick, by referring to both as his "wingers." He also discussed how important it was for him to be building a front-office team that could work together in rebuilding a team that has missed the playoffs in each of the past two seasons, and not won a playoff round since reaching the 2007 Eastern Conference finals. Its not clear what effect LaFontaines departure will have on the teams short-term future, including Nolans status. Murray said this week hes already had discussions with Nolan about extending his contract beyond this season. ' ' '