Ryan Reaves is still one of the top enforcers in the NHL, but last season wasn’t easy for him. He was signed to a four-year, $4.05 million contract before the start of the last season, but he was often at the center of attention for the wrong reasons.
He started in the Leafs’ lineup, but after 14 games, he was still on zero goals and zero assists, leading to him being a healthy scratch. Reaves eventually returned to the lineup, but it didn’t take long before he suffered a lower-body injury that sidelined him for a month.
Toronto had him on injured reserve, but Reaves himself claimed that he was healthy and had just been scratched by the team. Reaves eventually returned to the lineup again, playing regularly to end the regular season.
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Ryan Reaves was recently on the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast to talk about the upcoming season and his debut year in Toronto. But with an unexpected comment, Reaves called out the Leafs’ fanbase.
”It was hard for me at the beginning of the year because I was playing like s***,” Reaves said. ”When you’re not performing here, the media jumps on you. The fans that are sitting in their parents’ basement, they jump on you.”
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The Toronto Maple Leafs got their 2024-25 season underway with a rivalry matchup against the Montreal Canadiens. For the first time in 227 regular-season games, they were shutout by an opponent in a 1-0 loss. Reaves had one shot through 7:36 of ice time.
