The year 2022 could not have started better for Lukas Reichel (19)!
On January 13, the striker made his debut in the NHL, the top ice hockey league in the world. In the Chicago Blackhawks jersey, he stormed alongside his favorite player: US superstar Patrick Kane (33).
Reichel: “Kane was my favorite player from an early age and Chicago was my favorite club. In the beginning I had Kane on my team on the Playstation – and now I’m sitting next to Patrick in the locker room in Chicago. Insanity!”
What did the superstar (approx. 6 million euros annual salary) advise the rookie?
Reichel: “We talked about tactics in ice hockey. And after the game he asked me how I felt. It was just outstanding.”
Reichel (820,000 euros annual salary) has since ended up back in the Blackhawks’ farm team, the Rockford IceHogs. In farm teams, the junior players get game practice in the lower classes. His advisor Jaroslav Tuma (71, Thunstetten, Switzerland) explains: “Lukas is built up by the Blackhawks in a targeted manner and not in haste.”
Who is Lukas Reichel?
Father Martin (48) was a German international, uncle Robert (50) played 830 NHL games, his brother Thomas (22) is under contract with the DEL team in Wolfsburg.
Lukas: “I was already on ice skates when I was two or three years old. My dad sent me onto the ice in Frankfurt, later he trained me. I learned a lot from him.”
What is his strength? National coach Toni Söderholm (43): “With his creativity, Lukas is a player with a lot of potential. Mentally, he is often much faster on the ice than everyone else.”
What is Reichel missing in Chicago? The talent: “Of course the German food, schnitzel for example.” That will be made up for in the summer when there are no games. Until then, he wants to appear alongside superstar Kane as often as possible…
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