Wednesday’s 3 Stars: Rookie Reinhart provides power boost to road-weary Ice

No. 1 star: Sam Reinhart, Kootenay Ice (WHL)

Is extending the duration of a road trip going to be a strategy now? Probably not, but the Ice made it work for them. After spending 26 hours in transit to reach Regina, they won for the first time this season when trailing after two periods by beating the Pats 3-2 in overtime thanks to Reinhart's tying and overtime winning goals.

The 16-year-old's pair, which gave him five goals in as many games since returning from the world under-17 challenge, were both both courtesy of setups by his big brother Max Reinhart. The elder Reinhart, a Calgary Flames prospect, helped Kootenay level 7:26 into the third when he fired a shot that yielded a rebound that Sam eventually poked home. In OT, after Dylen McKinlay drew a penalty, Kootenay's first power-play unit was out for 83 seconds before coach Kris Knoblauch used his timeout to keep them out for an offensive-zone faceoff. Off the draw, they ran a great backdoor play, with Max zipping a pass across the goalmouth to Sam for the win.

No. 2 star: Brenden Walker, Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)

Walker's hat trick in Brandon's 6-4 road win over Saskatoon bucked two trends — the Wheaties' four-game losing streak and his own eight-game goalless skein. Brandon, whose season started to take a turn for the better around this point of last season, needed this win desperately. Walker, a former member of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League's Portage Terriers, got Brandon started with a goal in the final minute of the opening frame.

It was a 3-2 game midway through the third when he sniped the backbreaker goal with 10:49 to play and then assisted on Calgary Flames prospect Michael Ferland's marker just two minutes later. Walker completed his trick with an empty-netter.

No. 3 star: Emerson Etem, Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)

The Anaheim Ducks first-rounder was all over the ice while leading the Tigers to a 5-1 win that halted the Calgary Hitmen's eight-game win streak. Etem scored two goals, including a short-hander, had some gutsy shot blocks and even had a fight with 6-foot-4, 222-pound defenceman Jaynen Rissling.

The pair of goals gave Etem 39 in 40 games, one behind CHL leader Ty Rattie.

Honourable mention: Mike Halmo, Owen Sound (OHL)

Is Halmo this year's version of his former teammate Andrew Shaw, who's playing regularly for the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks in his first year out from junior? Halmo, the Attack's emotional and spiritual leader, extended his point streak to 15 games in typically gritty fashion, scoring the eventual winning goal in a 5-4 win over the powerhouse Plymouth Whalers. On that play, the 20-year-old carried the puck into the zone going 1-on-3. When the Plymouth defenders converged on him, he managed to kick the puck back to his stick to keep the play extant before roofing a shot over goalie Matt Mahalak. That goal opened a 5-2 lead, allowing Owen Sound to hang on despite Plymouth's Rickard Rakell-Stefan Noesen-Mitchell Heard line scoring twice in the final minutes.

Potent notables — Morgan Klimchuk scored each of Regina's goal vs. Kootenay, meaning four of the game's five goals came from rookies.

... Moose Jaw Warriors backup goalie Spencer Tremblay, 17, got his first shutout in a 2-0 win over Victoria. The Warriors' win was overshadowed by their top defenceman, New York Rangers first-round pick Dylan McIlrath, getting a check-to-the-head major/game misconduct in the game's final minute ... Fellow Rangers prospect Michael St. Croix ended a four-game pointless streak with a natural hat trick in Edmonton's 5-0 waltz over Prince George. Edmonton Oilers draft pick Martin Gernat had three assists for the Oil Kings ... In the OHL, San Jose Sharks-drafted defender Dylan DeMelo had two assists in Mississauga's 3-2 road win over Belleville. Anaheim Ducks draft pick Joseph Cramarossa scored for Belleville in his first game against the Majors, his former team.

(Game recaps available on the news page.)

Neate Sager is a writer for Yahoo! Canada Sports. Contact him at neatesager@yahoo.ca and follow him on Twitter @neatebuzzthenet (photo: The Canadian Press).