logo
Ryan Reaves Skates With Flipped-Up Visor In AHL Marlies Debut After Demotion From Maple Leafs

Ryan Reaves Skates With Flipped-Up Visor In AHL Marlies Debut After Demotion From Maple Leafs

Yahoo02-04-2025

Ryan Reaves returned to the American Hockey League for the first time in over a decade on Wednesday, making his Toronto Marlies debut in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Utica Comets. However, it wasn't his first AHL appearance since the 2010-11 season that drew attention.
A longtime enforcer and veteran of 1,025 combined NHL regular-season and playoff games, Reaves had been one of the last remaining players in the NHL to go without a visor before his demotion from the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Advertisement
In the AHL, visors are mandatory, and league rules state they must cover a player's face. Yet, Reaves appeared to strategically find his way around the rule by flipping his visor up, leaving his face fully exposed – not being penalized. Photos from the game show Reaves playing with the visor tilted far out of his line of sight.
In the game, the 38-year-old forward was placed on the left wing of the Marlies' second line, playing alongside Jacob Quillan and Alex Nylander, while being held off the scoresheet.
His return to the AHL came after the Leafs placed him on waivers just before the NHL trade deadline to create cap space. He cleared waivers on March 7 and was assigned to the Marlies, where he has been practicing with the team since March 25. The move allowed the Leafs to make deadline acquisitions, including Scott Laughton and Brandon Carlo.
Advertisement
Reaves had just two assists in 35 games for Toronto this season, falling out of the lineup in the second half of the year. He is currently in the second year of a three-year contract worth $1.35 million per season.
Ryan Reaves Takes Part In Marlies Practice But Status For Games Since Maple Leafs Demotion 'To Be Determined'
Ryan Reaves Takes Part In Marlies Practice But Status For Games Since Maple Leafs Demotion 'To Be Determined' Before being loaned to the Marlies, Reaves had two assists in 35 games this season with the Maple Leafs.
The Leafs have $195,332 in available cap space at the moment. However, he could return to the NHL once the playoffs begin, and the salary cap is no longer a factor. Other players like Max Pacioretty and Jani Hakanpaa are also candidates planning to re-enter lineup conversations for the postseason.
Advertisement
For now, Reaves can bring a certain element of veteran leadership to the Marlies, who are looking to make a postseason run of their own in the AHL for the Calder Cup. The team currently holds a 33-22-4-6 record, ranking third in the North Division.
Stay updated with the most interesting Maple Leafs stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Goals galore in third instalment of Stanley Cup Final
Goals galore in third instalment of Stanley Cup Final

Yahoo

time21 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Goals galore in third instalment of Stanley Cup Final

Defending champions Florida capitalised on Edmonton's worst performance in weeks to thrash the Oilers in Game 3 for a 2-1 lead in the Stanley Cup Final. Brad Marchand and Sam Bennett scored again, Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe each got their first goal in the series as the Panthers registered a 6-1 rout on Monday night. THE PANTHERS TAKE THE SERIES LEAD!! 😼 Catch Game 4 of the #StanleyCup Final between the @EdmontonOilers and @FlaPanthers Thursday, June 12 at 8p ET on @NHL_On_TNT, @SportsonMax, @Sportsnet, and @TVASports! — NHL (@NHL) June 10, 2025 Marchand became the oldest player to score in each of the first three games of a final and the first to open the scoring the next time out after notching an overtime winner. His 11 goals in the final are the most among active players, one more than similarly ageless Corey Perry. Bennett added his NHL playoff-leading 14th goal, just the second at home, after making a big hit on Edmonton's Vasily Podkolzin that contributed to the turnover to spring him on a breakaway. Marchand and Bennett have combined to score eight of Florida's 13 goals in the series. But it was not just them this time. Verhaeghe buried a perfect shot into the net under the cross bar on the power play, Reinhart made up for missing the net on an earlier attempt, Aaron Ekblad scored to chase Stuart Skinner on the fifth goal on 23 shots and Evan Rodrigues added the exclamation point in the waning minutes. At the other end of the ice, Sergei Bobrovsky earned the "Bobby! Bobby!" chants from a fired up South Florida crowd. The two-time Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender known as "Bob" was on his game for the very few quality chances the disjointed Oilers mustered, making 32 saves. Perry - at 40 the oldest player in the series - beat Bobrovsky with some silky hands for a power-play goal, keeping up this final being a showcase of cagey veterans along with Marchand. Connor McDavid could not get his team on track, and Edmonton took 15 minors - led by Evander Kane's three plus a misconduct to add up to 85 penalty minutes - including a brawl that ensued with less than 10 minutes left. Trent Frederic and Darnell Nurse, who fought Jonah Gadjovich, got misconducts that knocked them out of a game with an outcome determined long before. After the final looked as evenly matched as can be with Games 1 and 2 each needing extra time, overtime and then double OT, Game 3 was a lopsided mismatch. The Oilers came unglued to the point Jake Walman resorted to squirting water on Panthers players on their bench from his spot on the visiting side. The teams have some extra time off before Game 4 on Thursday night, when the Panthers have the chance to take a 3-1 lead and move to the verge of going back to back.

Gary Bettman chides Paul Bissonnette over ‘ridiculous' NHL state tax concern
Gary Bettman chides Paul Bissonnette over ‘ridiculous' NHL state tax concern

New York Post

time42 minutes ago

  • New York Post

Gary Bettman chides Paul Bissonnette over ‘ridiculous' NHL state tax concern

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman chided Paul Bissonnette's 'ridiculous' concern over the believed advantage Florida hockey teams have due to the lack of income tax in the state. Bissonnette, who played in the NHL and minor league hockey before launching his media career, had previously expressed the concern following the Panthers' Eastern Conference Final series-clinching victory over the Hurricanes on TNT. TNT hockey analyst Anson Carter pushed back almost immediately when Bissonnette brought it up, and Bettman was forceful in his dismissal of it when he broached the subject on Monday night. Advertisement Gary Bettman is pictured during the TNT broadcast on June 9. Screengrab via X/@awfulannouncing 'When the Florida teams weren't good, which was for about 17 years, OK, nobody said anything about it,' Bettman said before puck drop on Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Panthers and Oilers. 'For those of you that played, were you sitting there with a tax table? No, you wanted to go to a good organization in a place you wanted to live where you wanted to raise your kids and send them to school. You wanted to play in a first-class arena with a first-class training facility with an owner, an organization, a GM and a coach that you were comfortable with. 'And you wanted to have good teammates so you would have a shot at winning. That's what motivates. Could it be a little bit of a factor if everything else were equal? I suppose, but that's not it. By the way, state taxes high in Los Angeles, high in New York. What are we going to do, subsidize those teams?' Advertisement Paul Bissonnette is pictured June 9. Getty Images While Bettman seemed to slam dunk on Bissonnette during the segment, the hockey analyst took it in stride and even chimed in on social media with a post on X in response to a clip of the segment. 'Get the people talking. Look at that engagement. Throwing Gary softballs,' Bissonnette wrote on X.

Oilers' Connor McDavid, Kris Knoblauch Turn Heads With Mattias Ekholm Comments
Oilers' Connor McDavid, Kris Knoblauch Turn Heads With Mattias Ekholm Comments

Yahoo

time44 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Oilers' Connor McDavid, Kris Knoblauch Turn Heads With Mattias Ekholm Comments

Oilers' Connor McDavid, Kris Knoblauch Turn Heads With Mattias Ekholm Comments originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Edmonton Oilers edged out the Florida Panthers in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, grabbing an early series lead. Despite going down 3-1 in the game, Edmonton continued to fight back and eventually tied the game on a goal from defenseman Mattias Ekholm. Advertisement Ekholm has been great for the Oilers since he returned from injury in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final against the Dallas Stars. But his performance in Game 1 against Florida came at the perfect time. Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch discussed the impact of his defender and what he has meant to the team. 'We're very fortunate that we were playing long enough that he had the opportunity to come back,' Knoblauch said. 'Obviously when he's healthy, we welcome him with open arms.' Edmonton Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm (14) reacts after scoring a goal against the Florida Panthers in the third period in game one of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Place. Perry Nelson-Imagn Images The teammates of Ekholm also credited him for getting the win, giving more insight into what he brings to the team. Star Connor McDavid weighed in on it all. Advertisement 'It's massive to have him back, not only what he does on the ice but also off the ice,' McDavid said. 'He's a big-time leader in that room and it's impressive for him to step in at the most difficult time of the year after missing time. You can't give him enough credit for how hard he's worked to put himself in this position and the medical staff to get him back. It's been a full-team effort to get him back here to this point. It was a big goal obviously, but I thought he played great overall.' Ekholm was solid for the Oilers during the regular season, posting nine goals and 24 assists over 65 games. But the veteran now has a chance to help the Oilers hoist the Stanley Cup for the first time since the 1989-90 season. If Ekholm can continue to play at this level, the Oilers will be very tough to beat. Game 2 between Edmonton and Florida is scheduled for Friday, June 6, at 8 p.m. ET. Related: Maple Leafs Predicted to Trade For Predators All-Star in Offseason Move Related: Surprising NHL Team Expected to Be 'Major' Players in Free Agency This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 5, 2025, where it first appeared.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store