<p>Toronto Maple Leafs forward Ryan Reaves is just as confused as the fans are that he has yet to get into a fight through the halfway point of the regular season.</p>
<div class="bam-inline-promotion-block" data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2106" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="324"></div>
<p>Having long been one of the most fearsome fighters in the league,  Reaves has never been in a situation like this where so many games have gone by without one instance of him dropping the gloves. <a href="https://www.hockeyfights.com/players/1602" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HockeyFights.com shows that</a> by this time last campaign he had already gotten into two scraps and would go on to appear in seven of them by the time the regular season wrapped up. His last fight of any kind was against <span class="text-center text-lg text-gray-800 dark:text-gray-50 md:text-2xl md:text-end">Donovan Sebrango during the preseason on September 22 and nothing else since.</span></p>
<p>During<a href="https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/thats-what-im-here-for-why-ryan-reaves-is-still-looking-for-a-fight/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> a one-on-one interview with Sportsnet&#8217;s Luke Fox</a>, Reaves expressed his desire to get into a fight and what it has been like to go this long without being involved in a tilt.</p>
<p>“Yeah, it’s the longest I’ve gone without one. I would like one, for sure,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I mean, that’s what I’m here for. Or part of the reason I’m here. To not have one this late in season is new for me. So, I would definitely like one or two soon.”</p>
<p>It&#8217;s not like no one on the Leafs is willing to drop the gloves, quite the opposite actually. The Leafs have been involved in seven points going into Tuesday&#8217;s game against the Dallas Stars and the players involved in the scraps were Max Domi, Jake McCabe, Morgan Rielly, Connor Dewar, and even Pontus Holmberg.</p>
<p>While the collective total is a far cry from the days of fights being a more common occurrence, it is clear that head coach Craig Berube is fine with his players dropping the gloves if the situation calls for it.</p>
<div class="components_paragraph__b8N_5">
<p>“I mean, there’s not many fights anywhere anyway, right?” he said. “This guy’s been a heavyweight in this league for quite some time. There’s not a lot of takers. But I think he’s played good hockey for us. I mean, he is what he is. He doesn’t try to complicate it. He’s physical. I think he’s been a physical player every game for us. And I love his energy, and I love him in the locker room.”</p>
</div>
<p>Reaves may have missed out on fighting Arber Xhekaj in the regular season opener, but he also told Matt Rempe in their tilt back in October not to go &#8216;running around&#8217; and there were no fireworks as a result. The times when he may have gotten into a fight were passed due to either the opposing team not dressing their toughest player or said player being unwilling to go for it.</p>
<p>The latter is what transpired when the Leafs were on the road taking on the Philadelphia Flyers and Reaves slotted in to potentially go after Garnet Hathaway after he was involved in a fight with Jake McCabe that resulted in the defenceman getting injured.</p>
<div class="components_paragraph__b8N_5">
<p>“I asked him on the draw when we lined up. I think it was right after Dew fought. He was on the ice. I went on the left wing, and I asked him. He said, ‘No,’ and he was awfully quiet for the rest of the game,” he explained. “I think I’ve asked Hathaway before in my career, and he’s never gone me. I might be a little out of his weight class, to be honest.”</p>
</div>
<p>Reaves knows that his spot on the team is far from a sure thing at this stage, especially given he has been a healthy scratch in 17 games up to this point. And while it hasn&#8217;t been fun for him coming in and out of the lineup, he won&#8217;t stop bringing the energy and physicality whether that be at practice or in games.</p>
<p>He feels there is a prime opportunity to finally get off the schneid this week with the Leafs&#8217; next three games coming against opponents with tough customers galore. But above all else, Reaves wants to help get the team back on track after two frustrating losses against the Carolina Hurricanes and Vancouver Canucks.</p>
<div class="components_paragraph__b8N_5">
<p>“The last couple games, not as much life, maybe not as much physicality, especially compared to start the season,” Reaves agreed. “We’ve been playing every other day. Those games are gonna happen. But I think the key is to not slide and let that creep into too many games in a row. One, two maybe. But you got to grab it and get back to your game. You don’t want to start stringing losses together when you’ve put in so much work in the beginning of the season, climbing the standings. Maintain that and start pulling away from teams.”</p>
<p><strong>Sponsored by bet365</strong></p>
<div class="bam-inline-promotion" data-property-id="324" data-promotion-id="18983" data-context="web-content-promocard"></div>
</div>


Toronto Maple Leafs forward Ryan Reaves is just as confused as the fans are that he has yet to get into a fight through the halfway point of the regular season.
<div class="bam-inline-promotion-block" data-max-length="2" data-placement-id="2106" data-context="web-content-promocard" data-property-id="324"></div>
Having long been one of the most fearsome fighters in the league,  Reaves has never been in a situation like this where so many games have gone by without one instance of him dropping the gloves. <a href="https://www.hockeyfights.com/players/1602" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HockeyFights.com shows that</a> by this time last campaign he had already gotten into two scraps and would go on to appear in seven of them by the time the regular season wrapped up. His last fight of any kind was against <span class="text-center text-lg text-gray-800 dark:text-gray-50 md:text-2xl md:text-end">Donovan Sebrango during the preseason on September 22 and nothing else since.</span>

During<a href="https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/thats-what-im-here-for-why-ryan-reaves-is-still-looking-for-a-fight/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> a one-on-one interview with Sportsnet's Luke Fox</a>, Reaves expressed his desire to get into a fight and what it has been like to go this long without being involved in a tilt.

“Yeah, it’s the longest I’ve gone without one. I would like one, for sure," he said. "I mean, that’s what I’m here for. Or part of the reason I’m here. To not have one this late in season is new for me. So, I would definitely like one or two soon.”

It's not like no one on the Leafs is willing to drop the gloves, quite the opposite actually. The Leafs have been involved in seven points going into Tuesday's game against the Dallas Stars and the players involved in the scraps were Max Domi, Jake McCabe, Morgan Rielly, Connor Dewar, and even Pontus Holmberg.

While the collective total is a far cry from the days of fights being a more common occurrence, it is clear that head coach Craig Berube is fine with his players dropping the gloves if the situation calls for it.
<div class="components_paragraph__b8N_5">

“I mean, there’s not many fights anywhere anyway, right?” he said. “This guy’s been a heavyweight in this league for quite some time. There’s not a lot of takers. But I think he’s played good hockey for us. I mean, he is what he is. He doesn’t try to complicate it. He’s physical. I think he’s been a physical player every game for us. And I love his energy, and I love him in the locker room.”

</div>
Reaves may have missed out on fighting Arber Xhekaj in the regular season opener, but he also told Matt Rempe in their tilt back in October not to go 'running around' and there were no fireworks as a result. The times when he may have gotten into a fight were passed due to either the opposing team not dressing their toughest player or said player being unwilling to go for it.

The latter is what transpired when the Leafs were on the road taking on the Philadelphia Flyers and Reaves slotted in to potentially go after Garnet Hathaway after he was involved in a fight with Jake McCabe that resulted in the defenceman getting injured.
<div class="components_paragraph__b8N_5">

“I asked him on the draw when we lined up. I think it was right after Dew fought. He was on the ice. I went on the left wing, and I asked him. He said, ‘No,’ and he was awfully quiet for the rest of the game,” he explained. “I think I’ve asked Hathaway before in my career, and he’s never gone me. I might be a little out of his weight class, to be honest.”

</div>
Reaves knows that his spot on the team is far from a sure thing at this stage, especially given he has been a healthy scratch in 17 games up to this point. And while it hasn't been fun for him coming in and out of the lineup, he won't stop bringing the energy and physicality whether that be at practice or in games.

He feels there is a prime opportunity to finally get off the schneid this week with the Leafs' next three games coming against opponents with tough customers galore. But above all else, Reaves wants to help get the team back on track after two frustrating losses against the Carolina Hurricanes and Vancouver Canucks.
<div class="components_paragraph__b8N_5">

“The last couple games, not as much life, maybe not as much physicality, especially compared to start the season,” Reaves agreed. “We’ve been playing every other day. Those games are gonna happen. But I think the key is to not slide and let that creep into too many games in a row. One, two maybe. But you got to grab it and get back to your game. You don’t want to start stringing losses together when you’ve put in so much work in the beginning of the season, climbing the standings. Maintain that and start pulling away from teams.”

<strong>Sponsored by bet365</strong>
<div class="bam-inline-promotion" data-property-id="324" data-promotion-id="18983" data-context="web-content-promocard"></div>
</div>

Ryan Reaves is puzzled he hasn’t fought anyone in 2024-25

Recent articles from Michael Mazzei

Breaking News