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Meeting Toronto Maple Leafs Heavyweight Ryan Reaves

By Jeremy Ridgewell

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MARCH 23: Ryan Reaves #75 of the Minnesota Wild arrives for the game against the Philadelphia Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center on March 23, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - MARCH 23: Ryan Reaves #75 of the Minnesota Wild arrives for the game against the Philadelphia Flyers at the Wells Fargo Center on March 23, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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The Toronto Maple Leafs made a big splash on July 1st when new general manager Brad Treliving signed NHL heavyweight Ryan Reaves to a three-year deal with an AAV of $1.35 million.

Considering that the Toronto Maple Leafs haven’t even played a game yet this season, the excitement of having Reaves on the team is noticeable throughout the fan base. I got to experience this excitement in person on Friday night.

Ryan Reaves joined the Sheriff Podcast on Friday Night, hosted by Sean McMorrow. The podcast took place at Bottom Line sports bar, just steps from the Hockey Hall of Fame. Before the podcast started, Reaves took the time to greet everyone waiting to meet him. He took photos, signed autographs, and shook hands.

My first impression of Reaves is that he is built like a tank. I had the privilege to shake his hand and wish him luck this season. I also told him to take out those punks in Montreal and Ottawa. He said he’d do his best. It would have been nice to talk to him a bit more, but he needed to make sure he met with everyone.

Ryan Reaves Talks Toronto Maple Leafs and More

I’m not going to do a full recap of the podcast, as I encourage everyone to check it out and watch it in its entirety. However, I will mention the things that stuck out the most to me.

Sean “Sheriff” McMorrow asked Reaves what he worked on this off-season to prepare for his first season with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Reaves responded by saying he’s been working on speed stuff. He pointed out that the younger guys coming into the NHL are getting faster, so he’s been working on getting a bit faster to try and keep up.

Reaves talked a bit about his upbringing, the competitiveness between him and his brother, having a father who plays in the CFL, and how it shaped him into the player we know and love today. For those that don’t know, Reaves’ father (Willard Reaves) played for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in the CFL from 1983 to 1987. He helped the Blue Bombers win the 72nd Grey Cup in 1984. Reaves’ brother (Jordan Reaves) is currently playing in the CFL for the Edmonton Elks.

Back to the topic of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Reaves is expecting Leafs nation to cheer for every hit and celebrate every fight. He looks forward to showing off the guns when the need arises. The Leafs definitely have a teammate who will have their back this season.

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As for who he’s the most excited to play with, Reaves said Max Domi. He pointed out that they’ve always hated each other on the ice, so it’ll be cool to be teammates.

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