The Sunday Read: Reichel Finding Role In Bruins Lineup

BOSTON –– When Lukas Reichel arrived in Providence, head coach Ryan Mougenel sat the 23-year-old forward down for a chat.

Reichel had just been dealt to Boston from the Vancouver Canucks, and reported to the AHL club following the March 6 trade deadline.

“I wanted to get to know the kid, and I said, ‘What is keeping you out of the NHL?’ And he said one of the things was mental. And that’s fixable,” Mougenel said.

Reichel was originally a first-round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks in 2020; Vancouver acquired him in October before he finally landed in Boston. He has spent the early years of his career between the AHL and NHL. Stability has been hard to come by.

“I think it’s important for our young players to think strong, to think the right way,” Mougenel said. “And it’s tough. There are a lot of things that go on. Moving parts that are external, internal, getting called up, guys getting sent down; it’s hard not to have that affect your ability to think the right way.”

Building a confident foundation has been, and will continue to be, key for Reichel. It helped that the production was immediate when he joined the P-Bruins. Reichel posted five points (one goal, four assists) through three games before getting the call-up on Wednesday.

“Just be good in practice, that’s where you get your confidence. That’s where you prepare the right way,” Reichel said. “And then in the game, try not to think about the mistakes. Try to think about what’s working [rather than] what’s not.”

Mougenel paired Reichel with Georgii Merkulov and Matt Poitras. He was pleased with the skill Reichel brought to the lineup. The coach also got notes from others around the league who had worked with the newcomer.

​One of those people was Kevin Dean, who was an assistant coach for the Bruins from 2017 to 2022 and was with Providence for the six seasons before that. Dean went on to be an assistant for the Blackhawks (2022-25) and is now an assistant for the Canucks. He, accordingly, has a good folder on Reichel.

“I have a ton of respect for [Dean]. Especially when you’re talking about the character of people – he said amazing things about the person, Lukas,” Mougenel said. “I think the first thing that stood out was the kid is a pro, he’s been through it, he’s got a real engaging personality. I really enjoyed our short time that we had with him. And then his play on the ice – he definitely, for us, brought a whole other level of pace.”

It was the second time in six months that Reichel had to pack his bags and join a new team. Was it a surprise?

“A little bit, I would say, because it was kind of like last-minute,” Reichel said. “But I knew Boston was always – even when I was in Chicago – always in the mix. It was good when I heard it.”

He tried to take it in stride. Providence runs a fairly parallel system to that of its NHL affiliate; Mougenel’s goal is for the transition to be as easy as possible, he said, when his guys get called upon. While it was a short stint with the P-Bruins, it seemed to be just what Reichel needed to get his bearings.

“I think Providence helped me a lot,” Reichel said. “It was just three games, but it was fun to play with them down there. They’re really good at helping me out, and I felt comfortable right away. They are a really good team.”

Reichel made his Boston debut in Thursday’s 6-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets at TD Garden, and had two points (one goal, one assist) while skating on the third line with Elias Lindholm and Morgan Geekie. He also slotted onto the second power-play unit.

Reichel displayed the speed head coach Marco Sturm has been so fond of during Saturday’s 4-2 victory in Detroit. He bolted past a group of Red Wings and charged the net, drawing a penalty shot in the latter minutes of the third period. While he did not convert, it was a prime example of the motor Reichel brings.

“I think as a player, I happened to be here, too, as soon as you go into a new team – I think it just helps overall your confidence when you score and have success on the first night. It helps you tomorrow, helps you the next day, helps you the next game,” Sturm said.

Lindholm and Geekie have a combined 21 years of NHL experience, and they’re offering it up as a resource for Reichel, who has injected his youthful energy onto the line.

“Just having fun,” Reichel said of his linemates' advice. “And they try to talk to me a lot between periods or on the bench. Just play my game and have fun with it.”

Sturm had familiarity with Reichel – the Nuremberg, Germany, native – before he joined the Black & Gold. Reichel’s father, Martin, and Sturm were teammates on the German national team.  

​“I asked him about his dad today. He said he stepped away from youth hockey, and it’s a good thing. He’s focused on drinking wine, I guess. So good for him,” Sturm said with a smile. “He’s a good man, it’s a good family.”

Martin and his brother, Robert, were raised in Czechia. Robert went on to play in 830 career NHL games and won a gold medal for Czechia at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, Japan. He became a coach back in Czechia after his playing career was over. David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha happened to be two of his players.

“[Lukas] actually told me today that was his uncle. I didn’t know. I knew it was the same name, but I didn’t think they were related,” Zacha said. “It is kind of funny how the hockey world works – it is a small world. I know his uncle really well; he was my coach growing up on the national teams.”

Since his childhood hockey days in Czechia, Zacha has put together a career-best scoring season with 23 goals in 67 games. Reichel’s spark in the bottom six has been welcomed as it bolsters the B’s forward depth.

“We are happy to have him, and hopefully he can keep getting better with our team here and help us win more games,” Zacha said.

Reichel has been through a lot since entering the pro ranks. He is still enjoying the ride, though. When asked what the biggest thing he has learned thus far is, he paused. It was a hard question, he said. Then he laughed a bit.

“Maybe that I am not as good as I thought at soccer. Like at sewer before games,” Reichel quipped. “I used to play soccer; I thought I was really good. But guys in here are really good.”

Reichel’s TD Garden debut allowed him to take a breath. As did his sound performance on Saturday in Detroit. Now, he keeps pushing.

“Use my speed and don’t be afraid to try something out there. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. For me, it’s just all about being good mentally,” Reichel said. “Just try to bring the energy on the ice, a lot of speed and just play my game and have fun. And win.”