Lukas Reichel stood off to the side of the stage beneath a tree, catching whatever shade he could on the blistering afternoon, and practiced throwing punches.
Reichel was about to make his Chicago Blackhawks public debut, and it wasn’t going to be an ordinary one. He wasn’t about to step foot on the ice and showcase why as a 19-year-old he could make the Blackhawks out of training camp this season. That would have been in his comfort zone. He wasn’t even going to simply take photos and sign autographs in his new No. 27 jersey. No, he was being asked to get on stage and participate in a boxing demonstration, a sport he had no experience in. And, as previously mentioned, it was brutally hot out, with the feel-like temperature exceeding 100 degrees.
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Reichel was game, though. The event was for a good cause. The Blackhawks Foundation and A Better Chicago were celebrating the first anniversary of One West Side, a partnership that provides resources and funds to West Side organizations, with a back-to-school block party in a United Center parking lot.
Plus, Reichel had a special connection to the person leading the boxing demo, Jamyle Cannon. It was Cannon who announced to the hockey world the Blackhawks had selected Reichel with the 17th pick in the 2020 draft. If Reichel could give a helping hand — or fist in this situation — to Cannon, he was more than happy to. After removing his heavy hockey jersey, Reichel joined Cannon and Blackhawks mascot Tommy Hawk on the stage and jabbed, bobbed and punched for the short demonstration.
“He’s my man,” Reichel said of Cannon after returning to the shade. “He picked me. He’s my guy. The draft was a great feeling for me. I was so happy because when I grew up my favorite team was the Chicago Blackhawks and my favorite player was (Patrick) Kane. That’s why I’m so happy to be here.”
Cannon shared Reichel’s enthusiasm.
“It was great to be part of his moment where he gets drafted to the NHL,” said Cannon, who runs The Bloc, a boxing mentorship program on the West Side. “I’m glad he’s here in Chicago. I feel our mission is somehow connected to his because we got to announce him. To meet him, have him up on stage, do some boxing, I think it took a lot of humility to do that. For him to be one of the world’s elite athletes, join us in something that is completely new to him, I think it says a lot about him and says a lot about how Chicago is going to welcome him as well.”
Reichel has been getting acclimated to Chicago. He had never been to the city before arriving from Germany, his home country, a week ago. He’s been staying at a downtown hotel and seeing the city during his free time. The size of Chicago made a quick impression on him.
“I love it here,” Reichel said. “I was walking in the city. It’s nice here, so I’m happy to be here. It’s awesome. It’s big. I was in Berlin. Berlin is big, but it’s 10 times bigger. Like I said, it’s awesome. The guys are nice here. I love it here.”
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Reichel’s days have been mostly filled up with hockey. He’s been practicing with other Blackhawks at Fifth Third Arena. Reichel was on the ice five days this past week. He mentioned Kane, Philipp Kurashev and Connor Murphy as a few of the other on-ice participants. Meeting Kane and then skating with him was a childhood dream come true.
“First, I was a little nervous, but I think it’s normal because when I grow up, he was my favorite player,” Reichel said. “It was awesome to be with him on the ice. I hope I can play with him on the team. I’ll work for that.”
Reichel arrived in Chicago early to ease himself into his new world on and off the ice. Come training camp next month, Reichel’s hope is he’s more comfortable on the smaller ice and can show the Blackhawks coaching staff he’s NHL ready. The Blackhawks are likely penciling Reichel in to begin the season in Rockford because of the abundance of NHL forwards they have, but Reichel could change their mind.
“Yeah, of course, it’s my goal (to make the team out of camp),” Reichel said. “If it (doesn’t) happen, it’s not the end of the world. I will work every day hard and try to make the team. That’s my goal.”
Reichel has been focusing on adding strength and weight to his body this offseason. He said he weighs about 83-84 kilograms, which is around 182-185 pounds. Playing in Germany’s top division the last two seasons, he’s competed against former NHL and AHL players and has an idea of the physicality he’ll need in North America. He also understands his speed and skill are vital to his success.
“I’m still young, so I have to work on everything,” Reichel said. “I have to gain weight, but also I have to keep my speed and everything. That was important, too. I feel good this summer. I’m ready for the training camp and everything.
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“I think the ice is smaller. That makes a big difference. The game is faster. I have to be ready for that. But I think with Kane or (Jonathan) Toews, the stars, in practice, you can learn so many things from him just by watching them in practice. That’s what I’m going to do. I hope I get better with these veterans.”
Reichel plans to wear No. 27, which became free when the Blackhawks traded Adam Boqvist this offseason. Reichel said he chose the number because his older brother, Thomas Reichel, wears the same number in Germany.
One West Side is a three-year initiative that has promised to invest at least $2 million into Chicago’s West Side. The grantees include The Bloc, Austin Childcare Providers Network, West Side United’s Cluster of Care Community Hub, Firehouse Community Arts Center’s VIP Program and MAAFA Redemption Project. The organizations were represented at Saturday’s event.
“It’s great to have so many of the community partners come together,” Cannon said. “We’re all pushing in the same direction with the same mission, which is to improve the West Side of Chicago in different ways. To get all in the same place at once, there’s a palpable energy and excitement you feel being here with the other partners.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot made an appearance at the block party. She did a loop around the booths and was introduced on stage by Blackhawks president of business operations Jaime Faulkner.
“In order to lift up our neighborhoods and our residents that call them home, we need initiatives like these, which catalyze the partnership between the public, the private, philanthropic sectors in our community-based organizations,” Lightfoot said. “Our community-based organizations in particular are an important, significant, valuable asset in this working mission. Bottom line, folks, is we can’t get things done without partnership with the people who are on the ground and in the neighborhoods, making sure we understand the lived experience of people in our neighborhoods, and we get things done in response to our residents’ needs.
“No one knows our residents better than the individuals and organizations who serve them every day and is truly the driving principle that makes One West Side so impactful. Over the past year, One West Side has worked tirelessly to empower civic leaders and youth-serving nonprofits throughout targeted communities through these investments. … All these organizations every single day help empower our young people through education, social-emotional learning, mentorship opportunities, skills, training and so much more.”
(Photos: Scott Powers / The Athletic)
