Zac Rinaldo, the feisty Flyers winger who finished second in the NHL with 232 penalty minutes last season, tells The Philadelphia Inquirer he is trying to change his image.
Oh, he vows to still play with an edge, and if the season ever gets under way, he doesn’t figure to be a Lady Byng candidate for his sportsmanlike play.
But Rinaldo wants to be a more productive player, so when he plays with the American Hockey League’s Adirondack Phantoms while the NHL is locked out because of a labor dispute, he says he will work on improving his offensive skills.
“Personally, what I want to do is score some goals, play with the puck, and not kind of get mixed up with too much fighting,” Rinaldo said the other day after working out with a handful of Flyers at the Skate Zone in Voorhees. “I’m going to hit. That’s what I do best. But I’m also going to score goals.”
Terry Murray, who has coached four NHL teams, including the Flyers, is in his first year as the Phantoms’ coach.
Based on conversations he has had with the Kings’ Justin Williams, Rinaldo said he believes Murray “is a good coach for teaching young kids. I’m all for learning a lot more, and I hope he can send me into some different directions.”