Former Maple Leafs enforcer hangs them up for good

Among the swirl of news around the NHL on Thursday, one notable announcement involving a former Toronto Maple Leafs enforcer hit the airwaves.

Ryan Reaves, a once resident tough guy for the Buds officially retired after 962 NHL games.

Reaves played a total of 84 games in the blue and white after inking a three-year deal on July 1, 2023. The former fifth-round pick of the St. Louis Blues in 2005 was part of ex-GM Brad Treliving’s attempts to make the Maple Leafs a tougher team to play against.

Unfortunately, Reaves’ truculence was the only thing he really had going for him. In the 84 games he played, Reaves managed just four goals and eight points. The lack of offense landed him perennially on the fourth line, playing about eight minutes a night.

By the 2025 offseason, the Leafs needed to move the veteran winger, if for no other reason but to clear a roster spot. The move was inevitable after the organization put him on waivers. Reaves did not initially report to the Marlies, but eventually did. He appeared in three AHL games during the 2024-25 season, scoring one goal.

The Leafs eventually traded Reaves to the San Jose Sharks for defenseman Henry Thrun. Thrun spent last season with the Marlies. The Leafs, however, did not extend Thrun a qualifying offer this summer, allowing him to sign elsewhere. He landed a one-year deal with the Winnipeg Jets.

All told, Reaves played 962 NHL games across 18 seasons, scoring 66 goals and 74 assists for 140 points.

That’s not bad for a guy who did most of the talking with his knuckles and was one of the last to forego wearing a visor.

Reaves left the Maple Leafs with some hard feelings

The way things ended for Ryan Reaves in Toronto was not particularly nice. Then-coach Craig Berube essentially pushed Reaves out the door. It was somewhat surprising, considering that Berube was a bare-knuckles guy himself during his playing days.

Still, the Leafs wanted to do everything they could do erase Reaves from the organization.

That attitude stung Reaves. In a December 2025 piece, The Athletic’s Chris Johnston quoted Reaves, who stated his disappointment with how the Maple Leafs handled the situation.

“They basically said that I couldn’t play in this league anymore.”

The rough-and-tumble former NHLer felt like he never fit in. Johnston encapsulated this idea by highlighting Reaves’ long stints as a healthy scratch.

“Reaves said he found it difficult to let his true personality shine in a buttoned-down environment he’s described as ‘corporate,’ and sat out long periods as a healthy scratch.”

That situation left a bad taste in Reaves’ mouth.

“’I think throughout the year, not just (the waiver) situation, I think there was just some situations that could have been handled differently,’ he said. ‘At the time, I’d been in the league for 15 years, and I think just a little honesty and some communication would have been nice. Every team handles things differently, and it is what it is.’”

Reaves ended up in San Jose where he played 50 games last season. He described the Sharks as a “great organization.” It seems that it was an honorable way for the longtime veteran to bid the NHL adieu.

Ryan Reaves will eventually remain in the minds of Maple Leafs fans as a member of the forgotten ones who once wore the blue and white.

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