Ryan Reaves is done playing in the NHL.
The former Minnesota Wild enforcer announced his retirement on Wednesday, ending a 16-season career with a post on Instagram. Reaves, who is 39, used the moment to look back on the game that shaped his life and the long run that took him across the league.
“I never thought this day would come. I thought I was invincible. I thought I could play forever, but like all good things, it must come to an end,” Reaves wrote in his retirement post.
“Today, I retire from the sport I’ve loved since I was 5 years old. It was a hell of a ride.
Thank you to everyone who supported me throughout this journey. I may not be on the ice anymore, but I know I will always be close to hockey in one way or another.
You can rest easy knowing the corners are a little safer today,” he added.
“Mic drop, gloves drop. Reavo out.”
Reaves appeared in 962 NHL games and finished with 66 goals and 140 points. He also piled up 1,137 penalty minutes over his career.
The Wild got only one season from him, but that stint left a clear impression. He wasn’t brought in to fill up the scoresheet, and he didn’t, but teammates consistently praised the energy he brought and the way he stood up for them on the ice.
His time in Minnesota featured 31 penalty minutes, and even in a short stay, he became a positive presence around the organization and with the fans.
Reaves never won any hardware, and he came up just short of the 1,000-game milestone. Still, his name will stick because of the physical edge he brought and the personality he carried throughout the NHL.
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