Reichel apparently slept in an airport before making his debut for Vancouver Canucks

As if sleeping in an airport didn’t already suck. Can you imagine playing an NHL game the next day?

That’s apparently what happened to Lukas Reichel.

The newest Vancouver Canucks forward made his debut during a 4-3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens, capping off a whirlwind 30 hours after being traded by the Chicago Blackhawks.

Reichel provided some details about his journey to Vancouver following the game.

“When I got the call, I packed for two hours and I went to the airport,” Reichel said. “So, everything went pretty quick.”

Rick Dhaliwal reported earlier in the day that Reichel didn’t arrive in Vancouver until Saturday morning.

The 23-year-old didn’t elaborate postgame, but Adam Foote’s comments suggest that Reichel had some interruptions on his journey to Vancouver.

“The guy had tough travel,” Foote said. “I think he slept at the airport and got two hours sleep.”

There you go, even handsomely-paid hockey players have to deal with the odd flight delay.

Reichel did manage to make it to Vancouver, where he skated on a second line with Evander Kane and Brock Boeser. He flashed his speed early and was nearly sprung on a breakaway in the first period.

The former first-round pick played 15:54 overall. He only surpassed the 15-minute threshold once last year with the Blackhawks in 70 games.

“He had a hell of a game,” Foote said. “For coming into a new environment, there was a lot of heat out there, and he handled it well.”

Despite the praise from Foote, it wasn’t a perfect debut for Reichel. After Montreal tied the game early in the third period on the power play, they took a two-goal lead thanks to even-strength markers from Mike Matheson and Ivan Demidov.

Reichel and Kane were on the ice for both of those goals.

“It was definitely not my best game,” Reichel said. “I’ve still got more to give, but I felt good, especially in my first appearance.”

Again, it’s hard to fault a guy who slept in an airport for two hours before playing on a new team.

Reichel wasn’t the issue, but can he be the solution?

The modest acquisition cost suggests it’s a long shot.

Vancouver hoping Lukas Reichel can be the solution down the middle is a big ask.

Career 40% faceoff guy who saw very few centre minutes on a team that was lite on centres. https://t.co/CG0zBGC8lJ

— Cam Robinson (@Hockey_Robinson) October 25, 2025

That explains why the Canucks are reportedly still hunting for upgrades, with Elliotte Friedman saying that their interest in Boston Bruins pivot Pavel Zacha is alive and well.

If Elias Pettersson keeps playing the way he did on Saturday night, it might make management think long and hard about trading assets to find a legitimate second-line centre.

Despite the floodgates not opening offensively on the road, Pettersson quietly played well. The points did come for him against Montreal, as he scored the Canucks first goal of the game while adding two assists.

Good Garland goal + 3 points for Petey 🤝 pic.twitter.com/M4aEHEEiGF

— Vancouver Canucks (@Canucks) October 26, 2025

He was all over the ice, including in the third period when he belted Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki with an open ice hit.

Despite playing his best game of the season, Pettersson was in no mood to discuss his personal accomplishments.

“After losing the game, I don’t really care about that,” he said.

The problem right now isn’t Pettersson. It’s the lack of depth after him and Garland in the Canucks’ forward group.

Over the team’s last five games, Pettersson and Garland have six even-strength points (three apiece). In the same stretch, the rest of the Canucks forward group has six even-strength points combined.

The Canucks will need more from their forward group if they want to break free from the mushy middle and make something of this season after a tepid 4-5 start.

Reichel will get the first chance to help give this team a secondary scoring boost.

Maybe after a good night’s sleep, he will.