A former Toronto Maple Leafs right winger is calling it a career after 16 seasons in the NHL.
Ryan Reaves, who played 84 games with the Leafs during the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons, announced on Instagram that he’s retiring after 16 seasons and 962 games. The 39-year-old is best known for his tenure with the St. Louis Blues, beginning his career there and playing through the 2016-17 season. He spent his final season last year with the San Jose Sharks, recording three goals in 50 games played after he was traded by the Maple Leafs.
“It’s hard to put into words what you meant to me,” said Reaves. “I had dreams of being an athlete. Football, hockey—it didn’t matter. I learned at a young age that I just wanted to lay people out. The physical part of sports was what I was always drawn to. I knew that’s what I wanted, but tell 10-year-old Reavo he was going to play in the NHL for 16 seasons? I don’t think he’d believe you.”
Ryan Reaves Aimed to Play 1,000 Career NHL Games
Reaves was initially drafted in 2005 and ended up posting 66 goals and 74 assists for a total of 140 points throughout the course of his career. During his stint with the Maple Leafs, Reaves posted four goals and four assists.
He had commented in the offseason that he would like to play one more year to reach a total of 1,000 games played.
“I mean, playing 1,000 games in the NHL is an honor for sure, especially in the role that I’ve played,” Reaves said. “I’ve been training all summer already, and (my) body’s holding up pretty well. I just think I’ve got one more left in the tank. I think as I came into the league and the older guys have given me advice, one (piece of) advice that has been consistent throughout all of them is play as long as you possibly can.
“Because when it’s over, it’s over, and you’re going to miss it,” Reaves continued. “You don’t have regrets of, ‘I could have played one more year, and I shouldn’t have shut it down.’ So I don’t want to have that regret. I think one more year would be fun. And, you know, to say I played at 40 would also be kind of fun, too.”
Ryan Reaves Had Journeyman Career Spanning 6 Teams
That obviously won’t be the case with Reaves wrapping it up just prior to reaching 1,000 games. Although Reaves was never a major stat producer, he did have some notable moments throughout his long career. Reaves notched the tie-breaking goal in Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals in 2018 against the Winnipeg Jets as a member of the Las Vegas Golden Knights during their inaugural season.
The Golden Knights would advance to the Stanley Cup Finals that year before losing to the Washington Capitals in five games.
Outside of his stints with the Maple Leafs, Blues and Golden Knights, Reaves also spent time with the New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins and Minnesota Wild. His best season came during the 2018-19 season when he posted nine goals and 11 assists for 20 points with the Golden Knights.
Ex-Maple Leafs Veteran Winger Retires Just Short of 1,000 Games