Ryan Reaves has been one of the most polarizing personalities in hockey and one of the toughest enforcers since he made his NHL debut with the St. Louis Blues in the 2010-11 season.
Enforcers don’t typically carve out long careers and rarely reach the 1,000-game plateau. But if Reaves finds an NHL home for the 2026-27 season, the 39-year-old would have to play just 38 games to hit that mark.
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Reaves was on TSN’s 1050 in Toronto recently, speaking about his NHL future.
“Playing 1,000 games in the NHL is an honor, for sure, especially in the role that I play,” Reaves said on 1050’s First Up show. “But I’ve been training all summer already, and the body’s holding up pretty well. I just think I got one more left in the tank.
“As I came into the league, the older guys would give me advice,” Reaves added. “One [piece of] advice that has been consistent throughout all of them is, ‘Always play as long as you possibly can, because when it’s over, it’s over, and you’re gonna miss it.’ You don’t want to have regrets of, ‘oh, you know, I could’ve played one more year, and I shouldn’t have shut it down.’ I don’t want to have that regret. I think one more year would be fun, and to say I played to 40 would also be kind of fun, too.”
Reaves played seven seasons with the Blues, playing 419 games with the NHL organization and 214 games on the Blues’ AHL affiliate.
Ryan Reaves scored three goals in 50 games in the 2025-26 season. (David Gonzales-Imagn Images)
Following his departure from the Blues, Reaves went on to play 58 games with the Pittsburgh Penguins, 209 games with the Vegas Golden Knights, 81 games with the New York Rangers, 61 games with the Minnesota Wild, 84 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and 50 games with the San Jose Sharks.
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His career totals come out to 66 goals and 140 points in 962 games. Reaves also accumulated 1137 penalty minutes, ranking seventh among active players.
The 6-foot-2, right-handed winger has struggled to remain effective late in his career outside of being a physical presence and as a fighter. Reaves may have to sign a professional tryout ahead of pre-season before signing an NHL deal.
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