Calgary Flames: Former notable fourth-round picks
By Ramina Shlah
Number Four: C Robert Reichel, 1989
Robert Reichel, a name almost every Calgary Flames fan knows, most hockey fans know, and definitely ever Czech fan knows. Reichel was drafted by the Calgary Flames in 1989 with the 70th pick.
Reichel had quite the illustrious junior level career. He won a gold medal with Czechoslovakia’s U18 team at the European World Juniors in 1988. Then won a silver medal the following year as he also put up the points at the tournament, and played for the U20 team at the World Juniors where Czech took home the bronze medal. It’s weird referring to the team as Czechoslovakia right now. You’re old, Robert.
In 1990, Czech again won a bronze medal at the World Juniors and Reichel, having the most goals and points at the tournament, was awarded the best forward at the tournament. He played for Team Czech at the World Championship later that year where he, again, took home another bronze medal.
Later that year, with being named the top Czech prospect, he finally made his NHL debut with the Calgary Flames on Oct. 8th, 1990, and recorded his first NHL goal that same game. He put up 19 goals and 41 points in 66 games in his rookie year. And you probably guessed it, he won another bronze medal at the World Championship in 1991.
He continued to improve every year and in 93-94, put up a career-high in goals and points with 40 and 93. In 1995-96, not being able to come to an agreement with the Flames, he played with the Frankfurt Lions of the DEL. He returned to Calgary the following year where he and the Flames agreed on a three-year contract. But he wasn’t quite the same as he was before he left.
Taking a big dip with just 43 points in 70 games, he was traded to the New York Islanders in March for Marty McInnis, Tyrone Garner, and a 1997 sixth-round pick. At the 1996 World Championship, he finally won a gold medal!
After a full season with the Islanders and two half seasons, he went on to also play for the Phoenix Coyotes and the Toronto Maple Leafs. Reichel finished his playing career with the HC Litvinov in Czech, where he was captain for six years before hanging up his skates in 2010.
Reichel also went on to play for four more World Championships, where he had two bronze medals and two gold. He also played for two Olympic games: 1998 and 2002. In 1998, he had the infamous shootout goal against Canada in the semi-finals to defeat them, head to the Gold medal game, where they took home the nation’s first-ever gold medal.
In 2002, as captain of Team Czech, his brother decided to play for Team Germany since they’re of German descent, and it was only the second time in Olympic history that two brothers played against each other at the ice hockey games.
After retiring from hockey, Reichel spent a few years coaching multiple Czech national teams at different junior levels. He hasn’t coached since 2017. Reichel has yet to be inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, however, he’s been inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame and Czech’s Hockey Hall of Fame.
Although Reichel didn’t have incredible numbers prior to being drafted and was thus not drafted until the fourth round, he went on to become one of the Czech’s most respected hockey players.