[Pierre "Monster" McGuire]

http://www.calgaryherald.com/sports/...684/story.html

Take McKelvie, as just one example. Prior to jumping to the professional ranks, the 27-year-old missed two hockey seasons to take care of other, more important, matters as a student at the United States Military Academy.

“When I was doing scouting for Boston, I obviously didn’t spend a lot of time at West Point, because those guys have military commitments,” Weisbrod said. “But I happened to see him at a game one night, and I just really liked what he brought to the table. He’s a big, lanky, strong kid who is a really good skater.

“When I met with him, he was just a world-class human being and a real, as you would expect, ‘yes sir, no sir. He’s an honest guy — the kind of guy I thought a coach would love.”

“We don’t have to worry about the on-ice stuff with Sven,” Weisbrod said. “He’s got all the on-ice stuff. We just need to teach him to be a man and be a teammate, and be consistent.

“We need to teach him to deal with adversity and deal with pressure -all those things he’s obviously going to encounter as he goes forward.”

http://www.calgaryherald.com/sports/...694/story.html

“I see a physical change in Mitch,” Weisbrod, the assistant general manager in charge of player personnel, said in a break from the action at Abbotsford Heat training camp. “He’s thicker and stronger, and it’s clear he has worked hard.

“This is a kid who I thought in the summer, he has every reason to physically and emotionally pack it in with us. l thought I would come in and either see a guy who was indifferent and out of shape and here because he had no place to go or I would see a guy who realized, ‘I’m up against it. My career is on the line. I’m going to put my best foot forward.’ ”

[...]

“I’ve been pleasantly surprised with the earnestness he came into camp with,” Weisbrod said. “It’s still going to be a hard situation. I feel like we have a lot of tough decisions to make, but I feel like with everybody here — his mind and spirit and body is pointed in the right direction."

Forwards Michael Ferland and Ryan Howse might have finished near the bottom of the group in fitness tests, but Weisbrod says the Flames have zero intention of giving up on either player.

[...]

“Well, they’re both young pups and they’re both guys who still need to get it in terms of understanding what we expect,” Weisbrod said.” I mean, Ferland is sort of wide-eyed and new to it. They both have attributes, abilities on the ice that are hard to find and can’t be taught. You don’t throw the baby out with the bath water in that regard.”

Reinhart played for the enemy Kootenay Ice and made life miserable at times for the Swiss sniper.

“He’s a really good two-way centreman,” Sven said. “Sometimes I was really surprised by him.”

One particular sequence will forever stick out for Baertschi as a sign of Reinhart’s hustle and determination.

“When we played in the finals two years ago against each other, I remember one time he had the puck in the offensive zone,” Baertschi said. “Somehow he lost it, and we went all the way down into their zone.

“The first guy who was back was Max. I was like, ‘what is he doing here?’ You can tell he’s a really good skater. He does the right decision almost every time.

“It’s definitely good to see him again, this time on my team.”