The Maple Leafs will be without Reaves' services until December 4.
Following the Toronto Maple Leafs' 4-3 overtime win against the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday, head coach Craig Berube said he had not reviewed the hit Ryan Reaves delivered on Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse at the time.
Now that a few days have passed and the NHL's Department of Player Safety has issued supplemental discipline, Berube offered his thoughts on the five-game suspension handed to Reaves.
"I mean, it is what it is. You know, it's tough. I mean, it's a lot. But at the same time, I get it, too," Berube said on Monday. "They've come down hard on hits to the head, and it's not like Revo tried to hit him in the head. It was just a tough play, tough play."
Reaves has a history of disciplinary action, having been suspended three times and fined twice before this incident. Notably, at least two of those suspensions were the result of checks to the head. The five-game suspension represents the maximum penalty the NHL's Department of Player Safety can impose without an in-person hearing.
The Maple Leafs did not practice on Monday, as their next game is scheduled for Wednesday when they host one of Reaves' former teams, the Vegas Golden Knights.
"He's upset, obviously. He's upset that he put his team down," Berube said of Reaves' response to the suspension. "But at the same time, his type of game, and sometimes things happen. And it's not like he's a dirty player. He's not a dirty player. He's a clean player, in my opinion, for his role. And there was no intention of him doing that. It just happened."
The Oilers announced that Nurse will be sidelined for the next five to ten days but is recovering better than they had anticipated.
