At age 17, Lukas Reichel was playing first-division pro hockey in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga.

His Berlin Polar Bears linemates were Landon Ferraro, 28, and Maxim Lapierre, 34.

Quite the experienced bookends for a kid from Nuremburg trying to grow his game on the expansive international ice surface where time and space were plentiful. Great for freewheeling and creativity. Not so good to form a foundation and establish a complete game in North America.

“You don’t have the battles on the big ice, and it’s so much different,” Reichel told Postmedia on Tuesday. “You have to skate way more, but there are not the scoring chances or many mistakes or turnovers happening. Way more skill here, and it’s harder and better.

“I love the small ice way more because you don’t have to skate as much, bu

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