Ryan Reaves’ five-game suspension is completed and he returned to practice on Tuesday, skating in a regular jersey on the fourth line.
Toronto Maple Leafs enforcer Ryan Reaves returned to practice on Tuesday after serving a five-game suspension for his hit on Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse back on November 16.
Skating on the fourth line in a regular jersey, Reaves was eager to rejoin a Maple Leafs team that managed a 4-1 record in his absence, outscoring opponents 16-11 during that span.
Reflecting on the incident that led to the suspension, Reaves admitted the play stemmed from poor timing. He explained that he miscalculated his angle and made contact earlier than intended, a mistake that turned a routine hit into a dangerous one.
While he expressed regret over the outcome, he emphasized that it was a split-second misjudgment rather than malicious intent.
“I took a couple of inches too bad an angle and caught him,” Reaves explained after practice. “Just an unfortunate incident that if I'm a second later, I can only catch body. But, obviously, it's something you don't want to see, but it was just a split second too early.”
When asked about the suspension's length, Reaves sidestepped, jokingly saying he’d already warned his kids that Christmas was canceled this year, and he wasn’t looking to add another fine to his record.
“I don't want to get into that. I already told the kids that Christmas is canceled,” he joked. “I don't want to get fined again. So, it's over. We're just going to leave it at that.”
Following the incident with Nurse, the defenseman had some choice words for the 37-year-old, mentioning that “there are certain guys in the league that each shift they go out there, they're trying to go inflict pain.”
However, the comments didn’t seem to faze Reaves, who shrugged them off as understandable frustration. Reaves highlighted his 15-year career, noting that despite being known for his physical play, he’s rarely crossed the line – being suspended four times.
“When you get caught by somebody, I think you're entitled to your opinion. And that's fine. But I think my 900 games and however many thousands of hits I have, speaks for itself,” Reaves explained. "I play physical every game and I've been doing it for 15 years and I've only had a couple suspensions.”
“The only truth that he spoke was I go out there to inflict pain. That's a fact and that's not going to stop. But, I'm going to continue to do it legally. But, yeah, I'm going to keep playing hard, if not harder now. And I'm going to keep burying guys,” he added.
Reaves also confirmed he attempted to check on Nurse’s well-being after the hit, explaining that he never wants to see an opponent injured, confronting the defenseman in person. While their on-ice relationship might be minimal, Reaves emphasized that he never wants to “see anybody laying on the ice with a head injury.”
The timing of the suspension proved particularly frustrating for the veteran enforcer, as the Leafs’ irregular schedule of five games in 16 days during the stretch meant long gaps between games. Despite this, he claims that he used the time off productively, working on his speed and puck-handling skills in what he called a “mini training camp,” similar to last season’s time off he had as a healthy scratch.
“I'm excited to get back. That was the worst possible day. It was not a good day to get suspended, but the worst possible day to get suspended with how little we played,” said Reaves.
“I think we played one game in the first week and then another one in the next five days. So, yeah, it's been a long stint. I'm just excited to get back in the lineup with the boys and, yeah, just bring more energy.”
Teammates have missed Reaves’ presence both on the ice and in the locker room. Defenseman Jake McCabe praised Reaves’ ability to keep spirits high, noting his leadership and energy during the team’s two-game road trip in Florida – which he traveled for.
“He’s been great around the room. Great on the trip, getting everyone together and good vibes around the room, getting us pumped up,” McCabe said. “Everyone’s been stepping up in his absence too, so it’s been a good environment for our group here the last little bit.”
With the suspension now behind him, Reaves looks to re-establish himself in the Maple Leafs’ lineup – which has been riddled with injuries over the previous weeks. More help is seemingly on the horizon with McCabe (upper-body) and forwards Max Pacioretty (lower-body) and Max Domi (lower-body) set to return soon as well.
