Sabres assign Sam Reinhart to AHL affiliate

Canada's Sam Reinhart celebrates the fifth Canadian goal of the game during second period gold medal game hockey action at the IIHF World Junior Championship in Toronto on Monday, Jan. 5, 2015. (Frank Gunn/CP)

BUFFALO, N.Y. — Center Sam Reinhart, the Buffalo Sabres’ top prospect, will finish his season in the minors.

The Sabres assigned the No. 2 draft pick to their American Hockey League affiliate in Rochester on Thursday. The move came after Reinhart’s Canadian junior career ended Monday night when Kootenay was eliminated from the Western Hockey League playoffs.

Reinhart will join Rochester on Friday, and play in the Americans’ final five regular-season games. Rochester has already been eliminated from playoff contention.

Rochester will be Reinhart’s fourth team this season. He had one assist in nine games with the Sabres before being returned to the juniors. He had 65 points (19 goals, 46 assists) in 47 games to finish third among Kootenay players. Reinhart also helped Canada win the world junior title in January.

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