Chicago Blackhawks first round drat pick Lukas Reichel has tested positive for coronavirus, and will not participate in the upcoming World Junior Championships, the German national team announced Tuesday.
Reichel and his teammate Nino Kinder both tested positive for the virus prior to the team’s departure from Germany, and will not be eligible to participate in the tournament, which is set to begin later this month.
According to Eisbaren-Berlin, Reichel’s team in Germany’s DEL hockey league, the forward is currently symptom-free, and is in quarantine at this time.
The Blackhawks selected Reichel in the first round of the 2020 NHL Draft. In 42 games with Eisbaren Berlin last season, Reichel had 12 goals and 12 assists. He has appeared in four games with the German Under-20 team and the German national team this season, with four goals to his credit in those contests.
Reichel is just the latest Blackhawks player to be knocked out of the World Junior Championships because of COVID concerns. Goaltender Drew Commesso, a second-round pick of the Blackhawks in the 2020 draft, and defenseman Alex Vlasic, a second-round pick of the team in 2019, are both ineligible for Team USA’s roster due to positive coronavirus cases within the Boston University hockey program.
As of now, four Blackhawks prospects are still slated to participate in the tournament, including center Kirby Dach, who will be one of the key players for Canada in the event. Landon Slaggert of the US squad is also participating in the team’s preliminary camp in Buffalo, and Michael Krutil and Michal Teply are both vying for spots on the Czech national team.
