TORONTO — San Jose Sharks forward Ryan Reaves came into the 2025-26 season with a chip on his shoulder to prove he can still play in the NHL.

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Reaves didn’t have the cleanest of breakups. Reaves played in the American Hockey League for the majority of the 2024-25 season, and he wasn’t happy about it. After getting traded to the Sharks over the Summer, Reaves found a new home in the NHL, and he’s sticking.

“They basically said that I couldn’t play in this league anymore, and I’m back,” Reaves chirped.

“I met some great people. I had a great time here. Obviously, it didn’t go the way I wanted. That happens, though. I’ve been on teams where it just didn’t work out, and I don’t hold any grudges. Business is business, and you move on. It was an honor to put on the Leafs jersey.”

At 38, Reaves is the 5th-oldest skater in the NHL. That hasn’t deterred him from being exactly what the San Jose Sharks needed on and especially off the ice.

“I think throughout the year, not just that situation, I think there were just some situations that could have been handled differently,” Reaves said. “At the time, I’d been in the league for 15 years. I think just a little honesty and some communication would have been nice. Like I said, every team handles things differently. It is what it is.

I ended up in a great organization in San Jose. I’m having a great time playing there. So it was a stepping stone to get here.”

Reaves has played 25 games this season and scored twice. He’s become the emotional leader of the locker room. He created the San Jose Sharks player-of-the-game award. Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky has called the forward “a fifth coach” as he is one of the most vocal players.

As for who he’s looking forward to facing against the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight:

“[Max Domi], for sure. Papi (Auston Matthews),” Reaves said. “[I] think last time I played against Papi, I buried him in New York. So see if I can do that again. He said center ice today, too. We’ll see if that holds true. I think he would hold, for sure. Hold up is a different story.”

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