NEWSLETTER
Following the end of the 2021 season, the Chicago Blackhawks have been holding the annual exit interviews with their players, coaching staff, and front office.
On Tuesday, Dominik KubalÃk, Brandon Hagel, and Nikita Zadorov, along with unsigned prospects Lukas Reichel and Max Shalunov, were all confirmed to be joining their respective countries for the upcoming IIHF World Championships taking place in Riga, Latvia later this month.
KubalÃk finished the 2021 season third on the Blackhawks in scoring with 17 goals and 38 points in 56 games. His 82-game pace for this season would have been 25 goals and 55 points, which would have been on the same point-pace from his rookie season last year.
KubalÃk has played for the Czech Republic in major tournaments since 2015 when he Captained the Czech World Junior Championship squad. He scored two goals in five games at the 2018 Winter Olympics and eight points in eight games during the 2018 World Championships. It was the 2019 World Championships where he broke out and made his impression on the hockey world and the Blackhawks, leading to his signing following the tournament where he tallied 12 points in 10 games.
Dominik Kubalik plans to play for Czech Republic in the World Championships. He seems excited for it.
Brandon Hagel (Canada) and Lukas Reichel (Germany) are two other Blackhawks also going. I'll update the list if we hear from any more guys that they are.
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) May 11, 2021
Hagel will be making his first appearance for Canada at a major World Tournament. In 52 games this season, Hagel tallied nine goals and 24 points as a rookie, finishing the year fifth on the Blackhawks in scoring and second amongst rookies behind Pius Suter.
Zadorov will be making his third appearance for Russia in a major World Tournament, having won bronze medals at the 2014 World Junior Championships and at the 2019 World Championships. In his first season with the Blackhawks, Zadorov skated in 55 games with one goal and eight points on the year. He also ranked sixth in the NHL in hits with 190 and lead the Blackhawks with 10.79 hits per 60-minutes played.
Zadorov: "I was thinking last night, it was probably the most solid season of my career. Not the best if you look at the stats…but I was really solid defensively. I improved in that area a lot."
— Ben Pope (@BenPopeCST) May 11, 2021
As for the prospects, you’ll find 2020 first-round draft pick Lukas Reichel with Germany and 2011 fourth-round pick Max Shalunov with Russia.
Shalunov has made two previous appearances with Russia at major World Tournaments with a bronze medal at the 2013 World Junior Championships and six points in eight games at the 2018 World Championships. Shalunov went on a tear in the Gagarin Cup Playoffs this season in the KHL with CSKA Moskva, finishing with 12 goals and 18 points in 22 games. In his last four seasons in the KHL with CSKA Moskva, Shalunov is playing at a .507 points per game pace.
For 18-year-old Reichel, he will be making his second appearance for Germany at a major World Tournament after producing five points in seven games at the 2020 World Junior Championships. Reichel has played the last two season professionally in the German DEL with Eisbären Berlin, helping them win the league championship this season with five points in nine playoff games. Reichel has 22 goals and 51 points in 80 games in the DEL over the past two seasons.
While these five players have been confirmed to be heading to Lativa for the World Championships starting on May 21st, there are certainly more players that may be headed overseas later this week. Keep an eye on Blackhawks players like Alex DeBrincat with Team USA, newly signed prospect Jakub Galvas with the Czech Republic, Philipp Kurashev and Pius Suter for Switzerland, and Kevin Lankinen for Finland. It would be surprising to see any of these five players not invited to their countries camps, but some could possibly opt-out like Patrick Kane has done for the United States, sadly.
We’ll keep you posted on those who will and will not be heading over in the next week.
