No doubt, Ryan Reaves knows his role.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey definitely didn\u2019t sign me for my goal-scoring,\u201d the San Jose Sharks\u2019 new enforcer joked on Friday afternoon.<\/p>\n
Instead, the 38-year-winger, acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs for defenseman Henry Thrun, will be expected, as GM Mike Grier put it, to make \u201ceveryone on the bench feel a little bit taller and puff their chests out a little bit.\u201d<\/p>\n
Whether you subscribe to the intangible value of the enforcer or not, Grier believes in it.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m excited to run around, draw some energy for those guys, protect them when I have to, and have some fun with them,\u201d Reaves said.<\/p>\n
The gregarious Reaves spoke on what went wrong with the Leafs, his view of the Vegas Golden Knights-San Jose Sharks\u2019 rivalry, the unusual way that he found out about the trade, and his career goals right now.<\/p>\n
Ryan Reaves, on when he found out about the trade:<\/p>\n
I found out two minutes before I was walking into a signing, actually. I was going to Top Golf to do a signing for the charity thing we do out here [in Las Vegas]. But yeah, I\u2019m really excited. Obviously, the way things ended in Toronto wasn\u2019t exactly how I wanted, so I think it was time to move on. I\u2019m happy that [Brad Treliving] in Toronto found a spot for me, and couldn\u2019t be more happy to be in San Jose.<\/p>\n
“They may start hating me soon bc I just got traded to the Sharks.”<\/p>\n
Golden misfit Ryan Reaves was traded from Toronto to San Jose while at a VGK fan meet-and-greet. On the Mitch Marner trade, he says Vegas will ‘love him. I’m jealous I’m not playing with him anymore.’ #VegasBorn<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/kWMf1P5GQ8<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Nick Walters (@nickwalt) July 11, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Reaves, on the bad blood between he and the San Jose Sharks over the years, and if he ever thought that he\u2019d wear teal:<\/p>\n What history? I don\u2019t even know what you\u2019re talking about. No, definitely not. I think it\u2019s good that there was a little buffer in between to let that cool off a little. There\u2019s a few teams over the years that I would have said I probably never would have gone to just because of the rivalries that were going on. Chicago, when I played in St. Louis, and probably San Jose from my days in Vegas, but the little buffer in between\u2014the four or five years\u2014definitely helped that.<\/p>\n Reaves, on whether moving to another team was discussed with Brad Treliving:<\/p>\n I told him at the end of the year that I thought that this wasn\u2019t obviously a good fit. I\u2019m assuming he probably thought the same after putting me on waivers and sending me to the minors, and just thought it was kind of time to part ways. I think we both agreed that it was that time in my [exit] meeting. It took a little bit of work, obviously, with the Draft and everything going on, but I\u2019m glad it got done sooner than later.<\/p>\n Reaves, on what he wants to bring San Jose Sharks fans \u201con his side\u201d:<\/p>\n I want to bring what I brought to Vegas when I played against you guys: energy, physicality, sticking up for teammates, getting energy going any way it can, whether it\u2019s a fight or whatever.<\/p>\n Off-ice, just being a veteran voice\u2014it\u2019s a young team, obviously, a lot of young, really good skill. I feel like every locker room needs somebody a little bit older, somebody who\u2019s been through playoffs and been through the grind for as long as I have. I just want to help out those young guys any way I can.<\/p>\n Reaves, on whether the idea of protecting a younger roster makes San Jose more exciting:<\/p>\n Absolutely. I mean, they definitely didn\u2019t sign me for my goal-scoring. I\u2019m excited to run around, draw some energy for those guys, protect them when I have to, and have some fun with them, obviously. I think it\u2019s gonna be a great, great opportunity for me.<\/p>\n Reaves, on if Mike Grier and Ryan Warsofsky have set any expectations for him in San Jose:<\/p>\n I spoke very briefly with both of them. Obviously, there are a lot of moving parts. I\u2019m probably going to sit down with those guys when I get down to San Jose and talk a little bit more. I don\u2019t know if there\u2019s a ton to talk about\u2014I know my role, and I know what I need to bring to that team, but obviously they\u2019re going to have their thoughts too, and I\u2019m very open to hearing them. I spoke to both of them.<\/p>\n Reaves, on whether being on a younger team changes his role at all compared to previous teams:<\/p>\n I mean, it doesn\u2019t matter who you\u2019re sticking up for\u2014it doesn\u2019t matter what age they are, if you\u2019re my teammate, I\u2019m gonna stick up for you. Whether you\u2019re a 35-year-old vet or you\u2019re an 18-year-old kid, I don\u2019t think that really changes anything.<\/p>\n Reaves, on if this was the weirdest timing of finding out about a trade for him:<\/p>\n It was a little weird timing, especially because I\u2019m sure Vegas fans don\u2019t love San Jose. Having to break that to them was probably a little weird, but hey, that\u2019s the business.<\/p>\n Reaves, on what made last season in Toronto challenging:<\/p>\n I think there was just a lack of trust very early in the season. It just looked like I had one bad game, and I was out of the line-up for 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, games. I\u2019d come back in, have a good game, but get taken right back out\u2014I just really could never gain any momentum with my game. I couldn\u2019t really get any traction, and it\u2019s hard to play like that. It\u2019s hard to play when you\u2019re only playing every five or six games. They didn\u2019t see a fit for me in the line-up, and it is what it is\u2014that\u2019s also part of the business.<\/p>\n Reaves, on his excitement about joining the roster in San Jose and gaining the trust of the coaching staff:<\/p>\n I\u2019m really excited. Everybody\u2019s said to me, \u201cOh, I can\u2019t believe you\u2019re going to San Jose.\u201d I go where anybody wants me and anybody who wants me, I\u2019m excited to do whatever I can for that team and that organization. I\u2019m excited to get down there.<\/p>\n Reaves, on what he\u2019ll remember most about Toronto:<\/p>\n I think the guys that I met there. I feel like I made some lifelong friends there. That\u2019s got to be the No. 1 for me. Toronto is a first-class organization. I\u2019ve been in some really good organizations, Toronto just treats their players\u2014I don\u2019t know what it is, just a little bit extra, you know? I think that comes with the standard of putting a winning team on the ice, but I think No. 1 is just all the guys that I made friends with.<\/p>\n Reaves, on what stood out to him about the broken-up core four in Toronto:<\/p>\n How hard they work. I mean, when I got there two years ago, and you\u2019re doing kind of those skates before training camp starts, and you\u2019re just kind of scrimmaging, you have Matthews, Tavares, Mitchy, Willie, they\u2019re all on the ice first, and they\u2019re all grinding before anybody else is. You start to realize why they\u2019re some of the best players in the world: it\u2019s because they\u2019re really putting in the work. They are obviously very talented, and they were born with that talent, but they work extra hard for that talent to really shine through on the ice.<\/p>\n Reaves, on what surprised him about playing in Toronto:<\/p>\n What surprised me was the ups and downs of the fans in the playoffs. The arena could have been absolutely rocking at one point and then just dead silent at another point. I think that surprised me a little bit, but passionate fans are going to be passionate fans.<\/p>\n Reaves, on whether he thinks there was more pressure in Toronto than in other places:<\/p>\n There is, for sure. I think the first year I experienced it more. I started the season two years ago very well, and then things were just going really wrong for me.<\/p>\n All of a sudden, the whole city wanted me out of there. I don\u2019t think you see that in other organizations. Now, having said that, there\u2019s 9 million people there, so there\u2019s a lot more voices\u2014the hockey Mecca of the world, so there\u2019s gonna be a lot more voices because of that. It wasn\u2019t anything too crazy\u2014it definitely is different, but it\u2019s nothing too crazy.<\/p>\n Reaves, on how his age and contract factored into where he ended up:<\/p>\n Well, says you, I guess. Hey, I\u2019m like a fine wine. (laughs)<\/p>\n Again, I said anywhere that wants me, I\u2019m willing to go play and do everything I can. I know I\u2019m a little bit older now, but I still think I have a year or two left. I\u2019m 83 games away from 1,000, so that\u2019s definitely a big goal of mine.<\/p>\n I really hope to have a good year in San Jose and make a good enough impression to maybe buy one more contract. That\u2019s part of the reason [for me] for sure.<\/p>\n I think I still have something left, yeah, for sure. I still love the game, and I still love going to the rink and working out and grinding with the fellas. Once I lose that, I think it\u2019ll be time to hang it up, but I haven\u2019t lost that yet. The body\u2019s still hanging on, so I think I still have a couple of years left.<\/p>\n Reaves, on how his body feels:<\/p>\n Well, I don\u2019t know if any 38-year-old hockey player\u2019s 100%, but it\u2019s good enough to get on the ice and get up and down and play the way I need to, play physical and fight when I need to. Every hockey player has bumps and bruises and things that they deal with as you get older, they just kind of linger a little bit more, and sometimes they\u2019re a little more sore. I love this game, so it doesn\u2019t really matter.<\/p>\n Reaves, on if he thinks that he can still play 82 games:<\/p>\n I mean, if they give me the opportunity, I\u2019ll try and play all 82. I\u2019ll test it out, I can\u2019t predict the future, I can\u2019t tell you that game 40 something doesn\u2019t fall apart, and I need some time off, but I feel like I can grind through 82.<\/p>\n Reaves, on whether \u201ctime heals all wounds\u201d for San Jose Sharks fans:<\/p>\n I mean, I hope so. Fans are always going to hate you when you\u2019re on another team, especially when you\u2019re on a rival team. If you make a good-enough impression when you come to the city and you do what you\u2019re supposed to do, and you do to other teams what you were doing to them, I think you can win them over, no problem. That\u2019s the goal, anyways.<\/p>\n Reaves, on if he knew anyone on the Sharks prior to the trade and if he contacted them:<\/p>\n [Barclay Goodrow] is one of my good friends that was my running mate in New York. He lived four or five minutes away from us, so we were carpooling in New York. A lot of driving, so we would carpool everywhere together. Coming here, I\u2019m obviously excited to reunite with him.<\/p>\n I got to meet Jumbo on the Leafs\u2019 father\u2019s trip last year\u2014mentor\u2019s trip, I guess it was\u2014Matthews bought him on the trip, so I got to meet him. Great guy, I look forward to hanging out with him a little bit. Other than that, I don\u2019t know if I know anybody else on the team, though.<\/p>\n Reaves, on how he thinks the Sharks\u2019 play style fits his play style:<\/p>\n If it\u2019s more of a finesse coach, then I don\u2019t think it would be a fit for me. From what I\u2019ve heard, he likes the heavy forecheck, kind of a grinding style of the game, so that\u2019s what I try and bring.<\/p>\n Reaves, on what he makes of the opportunity to watch Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith get to the level of players he\u2019s been on teams with before:<\/p>\n I mean, I\u2019ve been with players who have been established superstars and they\u2019ve been doing it for years. I think the Sharks have the best young superstars in the league, I think they drafted really well, and those kids are going to grow into the Matthews, the Panarins\u2014whatever they want to be, they\u2019re going to grow into. I\u2019m excited to watch them grow, I\u2019m excited to work with them. It\u2019s going to be fun watching them.<\/p>\n Reaves, on what his favorite memory of the Golden Knights-San Jose Sharks rivalry was:<\/p>\n Any time we won, I guess. It definitely wasn\u2019t the times you guys beat us, and definitely wasn\u2019t that game seven overtime, I\u2019ll tell you that much\u2014which you know, of course, Goodrow scored. I think the rivalries are good for the game. I think rivalries are my favorite part of the game for my style of play\u2014it just seems to get me a little more amped up. From an expansion team coming in and just immediately having a rivalry like that within the first year, I thought it was amazing, I thought it was really good for the game.Whether it was playoffs or regular season, those games were just a lot of fun, everybody was tuned in. I just remember all the battles we had on the ice.<\/p>\n Watch the full interview here<\/a>. Special thanks to Maddie Dutra for help transcribing.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t