Ryan Reaves

Ryan Reaves (born January 20, 1987) is a Canadian-American professional ice hockey right winger currently playing for the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has previously played for the St. Louis Blues and Pittsburgh Penguins.

This article is about the professional ice hockey player. For the professional wrestler Ryan Reeves, see Ryback.
Ryan Reaves
Reaves with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2017
Born (1987-01-20) January 20, 1987
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
Height 6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight 225 lb (102 kg; 16 st 1 lb)
Position Wing
Shoots Right
NHL team
Former teams

Vegas Golden Knights
St. Louis Blues

Pittsburgh Penguins
NHL Draft 156th overall, 2005
St. Louis Blues
Playing career 2007–present

Playing career

Youth

Reaves began playing hockey at the age of five and football at the age of eight.[1] As a youth, Reaves played in the 2000 Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament with the Winnipeg South Monarchs minor ice hockey team.[2] Although he played both football and hockey growing up, after tearing his PCL during a hockey tournament, he was forced to forfeit football as a sport.[1] His torn PCL made him unable to compete in the football season prior to his Western Hockey League (WHL) draft year.[3] Reaves was eventually drafted 36th overall by the Brandon Wheat Kings in the 2002 WHL bantam draft.[4] Despite his draft selection, Reaves continued to play for the St. John's-Ravenscourt School hockey team where he led them to the 2004 McDonald's Provincial High School Hockey Championship.[5] Reaves joined the Wheat Kings for his rookie campaign during the 2004–05 season. Prior to the 2005–06 season, Reaves was named an alternate captain alongside Mark Derlago, Riley Day, and Derek LeBlanc.[6]

St. Louis Blues
Reaves with the St. Louis Blues in 2014.

Reaves was drafted by the St. Louis Blues 156th overall in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft.[7] On May 15, 2007, Reaves signed a three year entry level contract with the St. Louis Blues.[8] At the conclusion of his major junior season, Reaves attended the Blues 2007 training camp and was reassigned to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Peoria Rivermen.[9] While playing with the Rivermen during the 2007–08 season, he suffered an injury in a game against the Rockford IceHogs and was reassigned to the Blues ECHL affiliate, the Alaska Aces.[10]

Reaves was recalled from the Peoria Rivermen by the Blues on October 10, 2010, after Cam Janssen suffered a concussion from a hit to the head in the Blues season opener on October 9.[11] Reaves made his NHL debut on October 11, 2010, where he served 15 penalty minutes in the Blues' 5–1 win over the Anaheim Ducks.[12] He was returned to Peoria after two games with the Blues as Vladimír Sobotka returned from the Injured reserve list.[13] He later scored his first NHL goal on January 12, 2011, again against the Ducks, on goaltender Jonas Hiller.[14]

Reaves' 2015–16 season was cut short due to a knee injury and he returned to the Blues' lineup weighing 225 instead of his usual 230.[15] During the offseason, he trained with Blues assistant coach/video coach Sean Ferrell.[16]

Pittsburgh Penguins

On June 23, 2017, after seven seasons with the Blues, Reaves was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins along with a second-round pick (51st overall) in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft in exchange for Oskar Sundqvist and the Penguins' first-round pick (31st overall) in the 2017 draft.[17] In the 2017–18 season, Reaves added muscle to the Penguins lower lines, providing 4 goals and 8 points in 58 games.

Vegas Golden Knights

On February 23, 2018, Reaves was involved in a trade with the Vegas Golden Knights. The Penguins received Tobias Lindberg from the Golden Knights in exchange for Reaves as part of a three-way trade also involving the Ottawa Senators.[18] Reaves scored the series-winning goal over the Winnipeg Jets that qualified the Golden Knights for the 2018 Stanley Cup Finals.[19] He also scored in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals in a 6–4 Golden Knights victory,[20] though Washington would come back and win the next four games.

On July 1, 2018, Reaves signed a two-year contract with the Golden Knights.[21] He recorded a career-high nine goals and 20 points the subsequent season.

On June 15, 2020, the Golden Knights signed Reaves to a two-year, $3.5 million contract extension.[22]

Playing style

Reaves has been described in the NHL as an enforcer.[23][24]

Personal life

Reaves is the son of Willard Reaves, a former professional football player in the Canadian Football League (CFL) and National Football League (NFL).[25] At the time of his birth in Winnipeg, his father was a member of the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. His brother, Jordan Reaves is a player with the Saskatchewan Roughriders.

Reaves holds both American and Canadian citizenship.[26]

Reaves is the great-great-great-grandson of Bass Reeves,[27] the first black lawman west of the Mississippi River. Bass served as a deputy U.S. marshal in Fort Smith, Arkansas under the direction of judge Isaac Parker, known as the "Hanging Judge".

Career statistics
Regular season Playoffs
Season Team League GP G A Pts PIM GP G A Pts PIM
2003–04 St. John's-Ravenscourt School HS-MB 19 20 12 32 82 — — — — —
2004–05 Brandon Wheat Kings WHL 64 7 9 16 79 23 2 4 6 43
2005–06 Brandon Wheat Kings WHL 68 14 14 28 91 6 0 1 1 8
2006–07 Brandon Wheat Kings WHL 69 15 20 35 76 11 1 4 5 19
2007–08 Alaska Aces ECHL 9 2 0 2 42 2 0 0 0 22
2007–08 Peoria Rivermen AHL 31 4 3 7 46 — — — — —
2008–09 Peoria Rivermen AHL 57 8 9 17 130 4 0 0 0 2
2009–10 Peoria Rivermen AHL 76 4 7 11 167 — — — — —
2010–11 Peoria Rivermen AHL 50 4 6 10 146 — — — — —
2010–11 St. Louis Blues NHL 28 2 2 4 78 — — — — —
2011–12 St. Louis Blues NHL 60 3 1 4 124 2 0 0 0 0
2012–13 Orlando Solar Bears ECHL 13 6 3 9 34 — — — — —
2012–13 St. Louis Blues NHL 43 4 2 6 79 6 0 0 0 2
2013–14 St. Louis Blues NHL 63 2 6 8 126 6 0 0 0 6
2014–15 St. Louis Blues NHL 81 6 6 12 116 6 1 0 1 0
2015–16 St. Louis Blues NHL 64 3 1 4 68 5 0 0 0 7
2016–17 St. Louis Blues NHL 80 7 6 13 104 11 0 0 0 8
2017–18 Pittsburgh Penguins NHL 58 4 4 8 84 — — — — —
2017–18 Vegas Golden Knights NHL 21 0 2 2 10 10 2 0 2 18
2018–19 Vegas Golden Knights NHL 80 9 11 20 74 7 0 0 0 17
2019–20 Vegas Golden Knights NHL 71 8 7 15 47 19 0 4 4 14
AHL totals 214 20 25 45 489 4 0 0 0 2
NHL totals 649 48 48 96 910 72 3 4 7 72

References
  1. Callahan, Tom (November 12, 2007). "Rookie Reaves following dad into professional sports". theahl.com. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  2. "Pee-Wee players who have reached NHL or WHA" (PDF). Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. 2018. Retrieved 2019-02-14.
  3. Molinari, Dave (October 12, 2017). "Ryan Reaves almost played football, until an injury changed his future". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  4. "2002 WHL BANTAM DRAFT COMPLETED". wheatkings.com. May 1, 2002. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  5. Cariou, Chris (March 25, 2004). "Big line leads Eagles to 2nd straight title". Winnipeg Free Press. Winnipeg.
  6. "MOORE NAMED CAPTAIN". wheatkings.com. September 22, 2005. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  7. "2005 NHL Entry Draft". National Hockey League. 2005-06-26. Retrieved 2010-05-06.
  8. "REAVES SIGNS WITH BLUES". wheatkings.com. May 15, 2007. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  9. "Blues Reduce Roster to 39 Players". nhl.com. September 19, 2007. Archived from the original on September 15, 2018. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  10. "Aces Welcome Reaves Back On Eve Of Victoria Series". oursportscentral.com. March 6, 2008. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  11. "Blues recall Reaves from Peoria". St. Louis Blues. 2010-10-10. Retrieved 2010-10-11.
  12. "Ryan Reaves Makes NHL Debut with St. Louis". oursportscentral.com. October 11, 2010. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  13. "Blues assign Reaves to Peoria". St. Louis Blues. 2010-10-17. Retrieved 2010-11-02.
  14. "BOBBY RYAN'S HAT TRICK LEADS SURGING DUCKS PAST SLUMPING BLUES 7-4". thehockeynews.com. January 13, 2011. Retrieved March 17, 2020. Ryan Reaves scored his first NHL goal in the final minutes for St. Louis
  15. Rutherford, Jeremy P. (October 7, 2016). "Reaves lighter and faster going into Blues' season". St. Louis Today. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  16. "Determined to stay in game, Reaves changed playing style". ksdk.com. October 29, 2016. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  17. "Pens add muscle with Reaves". Pittsburgh Penguins. 2017-06-23. Retrieved 2017-06-23.
  18. "Penguins Acquire Derick Brassard in Three-Team Trade with OTT and VGK". NHL.com. Pittsburgh Penguins. February 23, 2018. Retrieved February 23, 2018.
  19. Gearty, Alec (May 20, 2018). "Winnipeg native Ryan Reaves embraces jeers, stuns doubters as Golden Knights down Jets". sportingnews.com. Retrieved May 20, 2018.
  20. Regan, J. J. (May 29, 2018). "Ryan Reaves' game-tying goal never should have counted". nbcsports.com. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  21. "Vegas Golden Knights Sign Forward Ryan Reaves". NHL.com. July 1, 2018. Retrieved July 2, 2018.
  22. "VGK Sign Forward Ryan Reaves To Two-Year Contract Extension". Vegas Golden Knights. Retrieved June 15, 2020.
  23. Simmons, Steve (June 24, 2017). "Penguins now have enforcer on its bench". Toronto Sun. Chicago. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  24. Traikos, Michael (October 3, 2017). "Fighting in the NHL is making a late-round comeback — because today's enforcers can actually play". The National Post. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  25. "Beleskey a Windsorite in birth certificate only". Windsor Star. 2010-10-12. Retrieved 2016-01-19.
  26. MacKey, Jason (September 27, 2017). "Ryan Reaves wouldn't visit White House if he had the choice". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved February 27, 2018.
  27. https://www.thescore.com/nhl/news/1977141
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