Reitz gets a chance after a stellar time with Aeros

By MICHAEL RUSSO, Star Tribune

Last update: April 18, 2008 - 12:31 AM

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Minutes after getting word from Wild assistant coach Mario Tremblay that he'd make his NHL playoff debut in Game 5 Thursday night, defenseman Erik Reitz booked it out of the arena so he could begin text-messaging every person in his cell phone.

"I'm real excited," Reitz said Thursday afternoon. "It's a really important game. I mean, I'm not nervous. I played in the Calder Cup Finals [in 2003 with the Houston Aeros]. I know that's not the NHL playoffs, but I'm confident."

Reitz replaced Petteri Nummelin, who struggled in Game 4. Assistant GM Tom Lynn said Nummelin was a healthy scratch.

Reitz, 25, a sixth-round pick in 2000, has played only six regular-season games with the Wild, and none this season. But before injuring his ankle with the Aeros on March 9, he was tied for the Aeros lead with Adrian Foster with 34 points in 49 games. He still led the Aeros with 26 assists and was a plus-11.

It was a breakout season for Reitz.

"It's [Aeros coach] Kevin Constantine," Reitz said. "He's having a lot of faith in me, putting me on the first power play and putting a lot of leadership in my hands. Everybody believes in the system down there, believes in the way they coach. We have 30-minute meetings every day before practice, and individual meetings and a lot of team meetings and leadership meetings. It's structured, and I've learned more this year than I ever thought I could learn."

Still, because he hadn't played in a month, Wild coach Jacques Lemaire planned to "put him in slowly and see how he does."

"He was the best defenseman in the minors, so he must have done something good there," Lemaire said. "He's strong, he's quick, he's strong in traffic, he can move the puck, first pass is decent. I think he's going to play an aggressive game."

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