He spent four years at one of college hockey's best programs, but Steve Reinprecht learned more about what it would take to play in the NHL by suiting up for just one game with the Los Angeles Kings last spring.

"It was a pretty eye-opening experience," the Kings 24-year-old rookie center told Sportsline.com as he described his brief professional debut in April, only days after completing his career at the University of Wisconsin. "Everyone is so big and fast up here and they know where they're supposed to be. You have to be really physically ready to compete."

Steve Reinprecht is among the rookie scoring leaders.

Which is why Reinprecht decided to stay in school as long as he did, rather than leave after his sophomore year when some pro teams began to show interest.

"I didn't think I was ready to make the jump at that point," he said. "In my own mind, there was no real rush."

There never is for someone who prefers to approach things cautiously.

Growing up in the hockey hotbed of Edmonton, where he spent his youth watching the great Oilers teams of the 1980s, Reinprecht dreamed of a career in the NHL while always remaining cognizant of how difficult it would be to actually have one. He was a marginal prospect at best then, so when the time came to choose a path for the future, Reinprecht decided to hedge his bets.

"When I finished playing midget (at age 17), I really had to started thinking about which way I wanted to go," he said. "I wanted to keep hockey as an option, but I didn't want to put all my eggs in one basket so to speak. I wanted to have an education to fall back on in case things didn't work out."

The lanky, six-foot, 190-pounder found a way to do so by avoiding Canada's major junior hockey leagues, the traditional breeding ground for future NHLers. Instead, he joined the St. Albert Saints of the Alberta junior league, a lower-level team that allowed him to remain eligible for college hockey under NCAA rules.

Reinprecht played two seasons for the Saints, signing a letter of intent with the Badgers during his second year when he turned into one of the most prolific scorers in the league. In fact, Reinprecht was so productive, he likely would have been drafted had it not been for a big break. Of his leg.

"Everybody backed off of him when he got hurt, even though he came back that year and had a great playoffs," said Wisconsin coach Jeff Sauer. "Then he came to us and just continued to progress."

So much so, that Reinprecht was named captain of the Badgers as a junior in 1998-99. A year later, playing on a line with freshman Dany Heatley, who became the NHL's top-rated prospect last season and the No. 2 overall pick in the draft by Atlanta, Reinprecht led the nation in scoring and finished as the runner-up for the Hobey Baker Award, the hockey version of the Heisman Trophy.

"I think Steve made Dany a better player," Sauer said. "He's very, very gifted with the puck."

The Kings thought so, and didn't hesitate to sign him as soon as they had the opportunity.

"We watched him for four years and we always liked him," said Los Angeles GM Dave Taylor, who signed the rookie to a three-year deal that pays him $400,000 this season. "We were looking for someone who could step into our lineup right away and we were comfortable that he could do that."

Kings coach Andy Murray agreed.

"We recognized his work ethic and character as soon as we met him last spring, " said Murray, who dressed Reinprecht for one game and gave him six minutes of ice time after he signed. "He's done everything we've asked him to prepare himself for an NHL career."

That included a two-week trip to the Czech Republic last July for a stint with a team owned by Kings owner Philip Anschutz. Reinprecht spent the remainder of his time in the Los Angeles area, undergoing a rigorous strength-training routine that helped him bulk up by the time camp opened in September.

Reinprecht came to camp knowing he had a shot at making the team, particularly since there was an additional spot available at center because of the holdout by veteran Jozef Stumpel.

"Reinprecht had a good enough camp and exhibition that he would have been in our lineup whether Stumpel was here or not," said Murray. "He probably got more quality ice time because Stumpel wasn't here, but he stepped up and showed us he was capable of playing."

Stumpel re-signed a few games into the regular season, but Reinprecht kept his spot on the Kings energy line between wingers Nelson Emerson and Jason Blake. After 15 games, the rookie found himself on the second line alongside superstar left winger Luc Robitaille.

"We moves the puck very well and we felt he could handle a more offensive role," Murray said.

Reinprecht hasn't disappointed his coach. After 25 games, he found himself tied for third among all rookie scorers in the league with seven goals and 16 points. Included in his totals were two game-winners and two power-play goals.

"He's surprised us with his contribution offensively so far, " Murray said. "It's still early, so we'll reserve some judgment on him, but he's definitely off to a good start."