Pro hockey writhe has officially ended for Ryan Reaves, who is announcing his retirement at the age of 39. Reaves is the type of player you go to an NHL game for; a player who drops the gloves and is tough. Over that period of time he picked up 1,253 penalty minutes and gained utter infamy as a enforcer in the game.
Post-Addison Reaves played in the NHL for the St. Louis Blues, Pittsburgh Penguins, Vegas Golden Knights, New York Rangers, Minnesota Wild and Toronto Maple Leafs. With 3,225 hits seventh all-time in league history and a tangible presence while with the club.
The Winnipeg, Man., native announced his arrival in Winnipeg on Wednesday, in an emotionally charged Instagram post. Reaves had a good look at the requirements of the game and accepted that the physical strain of over 10 years of semi-professional hockey had finally caught up with him.
Despite the number of hits and fights that peppered his resume over his years here, “Unfortunately, Father Time remains undefeated,” Reaves wrote. He also thanked the sport, the fans and all the people that he met throughout the journey. At 6-foot-2, 225 pounds, Reaves was doing his classic “mic drop” style ending with, “Reavo out.”
Reaves was selected fifth overall in the 2005 NHL Draft by the Blues and played a number of years in the minor leagues before gaining a permanent place in the NHL. At a physical level, he was able to gain some attention and with his leadership, he was a great asset to locker rooms throughout the league.
His retirement also brings him to three of only four players without visors on their helmets, a huge change for a player whose career has been tied to the sport’s rough and tumble times.
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