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Chicago Blackhawks
Lukas Reichel will make his season debut for the Blackhawks against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday (8:30 p.m. ET; CHSN, NBCSCA).
The No. 17 pick by Chicago in the 2020 NHL Draft, Reichel was a healthy scratch in the Blackhawks' first four games.
"You want to play every game, but what I learned from last year, you've got to stay positive," Reichel said Thursday. "Everyone knows that you want to go out there and compete and play with the boys, but all you can do in that moment, you've just got to focus on what you can control and that is stay positive."
Reichel, who had 16 points (five goals, 11 assists) in 65 games last season, was at center on the fourth line between left wing Patrick Maroon and right wing Craig Smith.
"This team's (an) up-and-down-the-ice team. They skate and work hard," Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson said of the Sharks. "That's going to benefit (Reichel) because he's a skater and we need to see lots of bursts tonight, confidence with the puck. When he gets it, it can't just be one and done. He's got to make a play or put it in an area where his teammate or himself can make a play off of that."
Defenseman Alec Martinez was placed on injured reserve and will not play because of a lower-body injury. Richardson said the Blackhawks hoped to know more on his status later Thursday. -- Tracey Myers