Ryan Reaves is calling it a career.
The longtime NHL enforcer announced his retirement from professional hockey on social media Wednesday, ending a 16-season run that spanned 962 regular-season games and 113 playoff appearances. He is 39.
Reaves spent the last two seasons of his career with the Toronto Maple Leafs, skating in 84 games across 2023-24 and 2024-25. In that stretch, he scored four goals and finished with eight points.
His value was never measured by offense, though. Reaves built his reputation on standing up for teammates and being willing to drop the gloves, and he logged 77 penalty minutes with Toronto. Over the course of his NHL career, he piled up 1,137 penalty minutes and fought eight times for the Maple Leafs, according to HockeyFights.
In an Instagram post, Reaves wrote a farewell message to the sport he had played since childhood.
"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."
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