Lukas Reichel, Chicago Blackhawks (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Blackhawks’ Lukas Reichel Named to Team Germany’s 2026 Preliminary Olympic Roster

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Brooke LoFurno | Last updated Jun 16, 2025 2:30 PM ET

The 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy are quickly approaching in February, and the IIHF (International Ice Hockey Federation) announced the 12 participating countries’ first six players to their preliminary rosters on June 16.

The countries are USA, Canada, Czechia, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Latvia, and Slovakia.

Of all the countries, only one Chicago Blackhawks player was named: Lukas Reichel (Germany).

Reichel Heading to Italy

Seeing Reichel’s selection was not overly surprising. A young, fast, 23-year-old forward makes for a logical addition. It also helps that Reichel has an excellent track record playing for his country.

He has attended four of the last five World Championships, recording 22 points in 22 games. He was on fire at the World Championships in May, where he had four points in three games, before his tournament was cut short due to a shoulder injury.

Furthermore, it was Reichel’s play in Germany that caught the eyes of the Blackhawks, as they drafted him from Eisbären Berlin of the DEL in 2020. Then, he won a championship with them in 2021, which made Chicago eager to officially bring him into the fold.

Reichel spoke at the World Championships about Germany’s outlook on the international stage:

“For us, when we play those big nations like USA or Canada, we can’t back off and that’s what we maybe used to do 10 years or five years ago. Now I feel like we can actually play against them and get some chances and play hard against them. We can play to win. We don’t have to back off and try to hold. We can play with them.”

He and the rest of Team Germany will look to keep that mindset heading into the Olympics, as Reichel will join notable names like Leon Draisaitl, Tim Stützle, and Moritz Seider.

Reichel Can Use Olympic Nod as Motivation

It’s no secret Reichel didn’t have the season he or the Blackhawks wanted, with 22 points in 70 games. But he understands how significant it is for him to make noise next season. He mentioned in his exit interview that he’s working with a skills coach over the summer and working on puck battles, among other things. As he stated, “[Training] camp is going to be huge for me.”

Hopefully, this Olympic nod will be another big motivating factor for him heading into October.

As for other Blackhawks, Teuvo Teräväinen was not among Finland’s first six players, although it is expected that he will be on the team. Moreover, as my colleague Gail Kauchak mentioned in her “News & Rumors”, Alex Vlasic and Frank Nazar could be options for Team USA, and Connor Bedard for Team Canada, depending on how they fare at the start of next season.

The final rosters will be official on Dec. 31.