Vegas Golden Knights fans will remember Ryan Reaves for a multitude of reasons. They'll remember the punishing hits that he delivered during his four-year Vegas residency. They'll also remember how he reminded Las Vegas residents to fix their water schedules or face hefty fines.
Now, they'll remember his long NHL career as the former Golden Knights enforcer announced his retirement on Instagram. On Wednesday, the winger called it a career, thanking NHL fans everywhere for supporting him wherever he went.
After 16 years and 962 games in the NHL, Reaves has announced his retirement. Falling 38 games short of the 1,000-game mark, the former Golden Knights enforcer will miss the millennium mark in his storied hockey career. Of course, it's not all sadness and clouds, as the fighter spent 209 games with the Golden Knights.
Here, he scored 18 goals and 24 assists (209 games) in four seasons with the team, adding 837 hits during his Vegas residency. Last season, he played 50 games for the San Jose Sharks, scoring three goals along the way. Overall, he scored 66 goals and 74 assists, adding 3,225 hits to his resume.
Reaves has talked about dabbling into new careers with his NHL career winding down. That included a broadcasting career that would've put him in the spotlight for Golden Knights fans everywhere. Imagine seeing his face on the television screen while reminding you to adjust your watering schedule to save Lake Mead. That would've made for some wild times, my friend.
What made Ryan Reaves special with the Vegas Golden Knights
Fans will remember how Reaves used to deliver a ton of hits for the Golden Knights. He was always the punishing type of player that would administer pain and stick up for his teammates. However, there was an added benefit of having the enforcer on your team.
Reaves also played into the Golden Knights' style of clean play perfectly fine, accummulating 158 penalty minutes during his four-year residency. That made him a one-of-a-kind player, punishing players while staying out of trouble. How many enforcers can you say are willing to do that in the NHL? Not many, which is what made Reaves a unique player.
On top of that, he was a man who loved the Las Vegas community. Think of how many times the former Golden Knights enforcer showed up at Battle 4 Vegas. He always came back, even after he left for divisional rivals. That's the type of commitment and love that fans appreciate, especially when you've made countless memories with the organization.
The Golden Knights have had numerous fan favorites over the years, whether it was Jonathan Marchessault, Reilly Smith and his penchant for being a teacher, or Marc-Andre Fleury. But it's always the scrappy Energizer bunnies that make plenty of noise, even if it's on the lower lines. That's essentially what Ryan Reaves was to the Golden Knights: a scrappy underdog that fans appreciated. Here's to you, Mr. Reaves. May you enjoy retirement and take it out on Matt Rempe.
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