Sharks’ Ryan Reaves Proves He’s Here to Stay At 38

In the NHL, there are players who make a great impact in the locker room in addition to the efforts they display on the ice. For the San Jose Sharks, right wing and enforcer Ryan Reaves perfectly fits that description.

Known for an offensive physical game and on-ice fights, Reaves has been contributing to the growing culture of the Sharks significantly. And he's done so fairly quickly; at 38, he was traded to San Jose by the Toronto Maple Leafs in July 2025 in exchange for Henry Thrun.

Since joining the San Jose locker room, Reaves has garnered a reputation for protecting the younger players on the roster in addition to creating the new postgame tradition of the Player of the Game wearing a shark tooth necklace at their media availability.

Ryan Reaves' Efforts with the Sharks Not to Be Overlooked

Protecting the younger Sharks is no simple task — San Jose has former No. 1 pick Macklin Celebrini (only 19) on the roster, in addition to four other Sharks that were born in or after the year 2003.

Reavo's got the salts to get 'em going. 😂 pic.twitter.com/nbXWzKgpMT
— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) November 16, 2025

This protection has paid off, with the organization showing their trust in a variety of ways. Some may say it's silly, but Reaves was even trusted with carving the turkeys at the team's annual Thanksgiving celebration. It was a task Reaves took in stride, sharing this role to the media while pictures of him doing so with a smile have since circulated online as well.

Reaves has 139 total career points (65 goals, 74 assists) across 937 games played.

While at a recent locker room media availability, Reaves shared his thoughts on how he felt about his time with Toronto ending.

"Absolutely, they basically said that I couldn't play in this league anymore," Reaves said to the media when asked about his thoughts on being traded by the Maple Leafs last offseason. "At the time, I've been in the league for 15 years. I think just a little honesty and some communication would have been nice but like I said, each team handles things differently. It is what it is."

Dec 1, 2025; San Jose, California, USA; San Jose Sharks right wing Ryan Reaves (75) skates during the first period against the Utah Mammoth at SAP Center at San Jose. Mandatory Credit: Justine Willard-Imagn Images | Justine Willard-Imagn Images

Reaves appeared in 84 games with Toronto. Despite him saying that the Maple Leafs didn't feel he has any remaining presence in the NHL, Reaves has played in 25 contests since joining San Jose.

The Sharks' fanbase has also welcomed Reaves with open arms. While he doesn't always produce on the statsheet, one fan in particular pointed out that Reaves and his contributions off the ice are not to be overlooked.

"Funny how people act like Reaves is supposed to score goals [a]n[d] produce pts. He’s never been that player. He’s a glue guy that makes sure to keep the guys loose in the locker room and safe on the ice," said one NHL watcher on X. "He’s playing his role perfectly! 15 yr career … must be doing something right!

Reaves is currently seeing an average of 7:36 TOI per game. He also has nine game-winning goals for his career.

The enforcer himself also implied he's grateful for how his career has turned out in that it brought him to the Sharks' organization.

"I ended up in a great organization in San Jose and I'm having a great time playing there so it was just a stepping stone to get here," Reaves also said, proving his time in the league is far from over.

Reaves is currently signed to a three-year contract with an average annual value of $1.35 million.

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