CHICAGO — Lukas Reichel made his season debut for the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night after sitting out the team’s first four games.
He played for 8½ minutes in the team’s home opener, a 4-2 win against San Jose, centering the fourth line alongside veteran forwards Pat Maroon and Craig Smith in his 100th career game. Coach Luke Richardson noted that Reichel had some positive moments, saying, “I thought he was hard in the faceoff circle. He blocked a shot in the third period and showed initiative, whether he was backchecking to help our defense or forechecking on offense. It was a good start for him.”
Prior to the game, the Blackhawks placed Alec Martinez on injured reserve due to a right groin injury and recalled defenseman Isaak Phillips from Rockford in the AHL. Martinez, who had played in the first four games, reportedly aggravated a nagging groin strain last outing.
Richardson had no updates on goaltender Laurent Brossoit or defenseman Artyom Levshunov, who are both recovering from injuries. Brossoit had meniscus surgery on August 27, while Levshunov is recovering from a foot injury. Richardson mentioned both are off the ice for a day or two but will return soon.
Reichel, 22, was a first-round pick in the 2020 NHL draft, but he has faced challenges with consistency since his debut nearly three years ago. He re-signed with the Blackhawks in May on a two-year deal. If he doesn’t improve this season and the team opts to send him down, they would need to put him through waivers.
Reichel previously showed promise with four goals and four assists in his last eight games of the 2022-23 season. Despite appearing in a career-high 65 games last season, he finished with only five goals and 11 assists. He expressed that it was difficult to start the season as a healthy scratch, emphasizing the importance of staying positive and focusing on what he can control.
TORONTO — The Ontario Hockey League (OHL) announced on Thursday that it is taking sexual assault allegations against eight former players seriously and will assist with any police investigation.
A woman reported in a Wednesday CTV broadcast that she was assaulted by these players in November 2014 at a residence where her boyfriend, a 19-year-old player, was living while playing in the OHL. She stated that some of the players went on to compete in the NHL.
Now 32, the woman filed a report with the Ontario Provincial Police earlier this year. The OHL learned of the allegations on Wednesday.
The NHL commented that it is “deeply troubled by any accusation of this nature,” but stated they have no information beyond what was reported in the media. The CTV report did not disclose the names of the players involved, and none of the allegations have been validated in court.
