Maple Leafs Trade Ryan Reaves Overnight After He Called Out Fans originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Ryan Reaves era in Toronto ended Thursday night, and the timing will certainly raise eyebrows among Maple Leafs fans.
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Just days after defending Mitch Marner’s decision to leave Toronto and calling out parts of the Maple Leafs’ fan base for pushing Marner out, the 38-year-old veteran enforcer was traded to the San Jose Sharks overnight in an unexpected move.
The Leafs sent Reaves to San Jose in exchange for 24-year-old defenseman Henry Thrun in a transaction that gives Toronto $5.33 million in cap space and shifts Reaves to his seventh NHL team entering his 16th season next year.
The move comes shortly after Reaves made headlines on “The Cam & Strick Podcast” for backing Marner’s decision to leave.
Marner signed a record-breaking deal with the Vegas Golden Knights after nine seasons in Toronto, following his sign-and-trade on the verge of free agency.
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“Mitchie earned the right to go wherever he wants,” Reaves said. “He’s dedicated a lot of his career — his whole career — to Toronto. A hometown guy. He’s poured everything he had into it.”
Reaves, who was demoted to the AHL last March, suggested that Toronto fans pushed Marner out.
“It’s tough for any player when you’re reading all the hate,” Reaves said. “It’s probably just frustrating.”
Toronto Maple Leafs forward Ryan Reaves (75) fights with an Ottawa Senators player.Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Discussing the nature of Toronto hockey fans, Reaves sees it as a split between those loyal to the team and its players, and those who only care about winning, no matter what they have to do to get there.
“There are two sides to fans in Toronto,” Reaves said. “I think there’s the ones who just want to win so bad that they will drag anybody through the dirt, and loyal fans that just want to support the team.”
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Reaves leaves Toronto after spending two seasons with the Leafs. He only appeared in 35 games last season, assisting on two goals and getting demoted to the Leafs’ affiliate team in the AHL in March.
Related: Ryan Reaves Calls Out ‘Ruthless’ Maple Leafs Fans After Mitch Marner’s Exit
Related: Mitch Marner Reveals What He’s Heard About Vegas’ Jack Eichel
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 11, 2025, where it first appeared.