On Saturday night, in a contest between the Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs, former Pittsburgh Penguins forward Ryan Reaves landed a questionable headshot hit on Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse.
First thing Sunday morning, the NHL Department of Player Safety announced that Reaves, who was ejected from the game on a match penalty, would have a hearing for the hit, which knocked Nurse out of the game. The Maple Leafs won 4-3 in overtime.
Social media fans say that Reaves, a repeat offender, should be suspended for a handful of games, while The Hockey News’ own Ken Campbell thought of a more fun punishment for the NHL veteran with 1,095 penalty minutes in 893 games.
Here’s an idea: Instead of suspending Ryan Reaves, the NHL should force the Leafs to play him 20 minutes per game for each of the next 10 games. Now, that would be a punishment.
— Ken Campbell (@Ken_Campbell27) November 17, 2024
Reaves has been suspended three times and fined twice, with this latest incident on Saturday potentially joining the list:
-
May 2021 – two playoff games (roughing/unsportsmanlike conduct)
-
Sept. 2020 – one game (illegal check to the head)
-
Mar. 2019 – high-sticking ($2,500.00)
-
Feb. 2016 – three games (boarding)
-
Nov. 2015 – roughing fine ($3,024.19)
As one of the last four players still skating in the NHL without a visor, Reaves is a fearless player who still serves as an enforcer, a role slowly being phased out of the game.
Related: Sidney Crosby Career Goal Tracker: How Close Is The Penguins Captain To 600 Goals
As a bottom-six player averaging 7:51 a game, the Maple Leafs may be without one of their muscle players for a few games, but with just one assist in 16 games, this absence won’t hurt the Toronto offense.
