Despite losing to the Columbus Blue Jackets 5–1 on Wednesday night, one moment from the game stood out for the Leafs. And no, it’s not when Auston Matthews picked up a minor penalty for picking up the stick of Columbus goaltender Elvis Merzlikins.
I am referring to when, less than two minutes into the first period, Blue Jackets winger Mathieu Olivier and Leafs winger Ryan Reaves dropped the gloves in what was Reaves’ first fight of the 2024–25 NHL season.
But, though the fight had its electric moments, it didn’t quite get the crowd going as one would expect when a team’s key enforcer throws down, and unfortunately for Reaves, the underwhelming reaction was deserved.
Reaves’ fighting history and 2024–25 lack thereof
The 38-year-old’s complete lack of fighting prior to Tuesday night was noticed by fans and by Reaves himself.
“Yeah, it’s the longest I’ve gone without one. I would like one, for sure,” said Reaves. “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.”
Reaves’ last regular season fight before his tilly with Olivier came back on April 6 of the 2023–24 season, when Reaves took on Montreal Canadiens winger Mike Pezzetta. Including the fight with Pezzetta, Reaves had a total of seven fights during 2023–24—the same amount that he had the season before that in 2022–23.
The last time he had a fight total below five in a season was in 2021–22 when he engaged in just three fights. Reaves is at risk of replicating that low total or worse if he doesn’t find some more dance partners as the second half of the season grinds on.
And as it stands right now in Toronto, Reaves is being outshined on the fisticuffs front by defenceman Jake McCabe and forward Max Domi, both of whom have two fights apiece. But when you’re looked at as the team’s No. 1 tough guy like Reaves is, that total needs to be higher than guys who are relied on for their actual game-changing talent with stick and puck.
Lukewarm reaction to Reaves’ latest scrap
Rounding back to Reaves’ latest fight with Olivier, while it did get the crowd cheering, it wasn’t the same deafening roar that Reaves got last season when he was fighting guys like the Rangers’ Matt Rempe or former Lightning and now Kings forward Tanner Jeannot.
Even Leafs captain Matthews commented on the quieter fan reaction in a post-game interview on Tuesday.
“Would’ve liked a little more energy from the crowd after that. It was a little quiet tonight, especially after two guys like that go at it. But it was a great moment for him. I thought it gave us some energy on the bench,” Matthews said, per TSN’s Mark Masters.
Had Reaves fought even just a time or two before Tuesday, he likely would’ve gotten the increased energy that Matthews wished for. However, the feeling you got from the crowd in attendance felt more like a, “well, it’s about time” than a, “let’s go, fire me up, take this guy’s head off.” If Reaves is able to build off of this and tally up some more scraps, he will likely get a bigger roar from the Leafs’ faithful.
Now, while Reaves has been lacking in the fight game, it isn’t 100% his fault. Reaves attempted to get a fight going with Montreal’s Arber Xhekaj last Saturday when the Leafs were down 3–0 in the first period, but Xhekaj promptly pointed to the scoreboard and shooed Reaves away—and went on to “get rattled off for seven” as Reaves put it post-game following a 7–3 Leafs victory.
Reaves also got turned down just over a week earlier on Jan. 7 when he tried to get a tilt going with the Flyers’ Garnet Hathaway, just two days after McCabe had sustained an upper-body injury after hitting his head on the ice following a fight with Hathaway.
Like with Xhekaj, it was no dice for Reaves. “I asked (Hathaway) 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,” Reaves 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.”
It seems that Reaves isn’t just being reluctant and selective with his fights, but is also being straight-up avoided by other NHL tough guys.
The bottom line
Any way you slice it, whether Reaves is being far too selective of who he fights and when, or if it is more due to other guys being afraid to step up to the veteran enforcer, the fact remains that Reaves is being paid to be a physical piece for the Leafs and that has to include the occasional dropping of the gloves.
Looking back at the fight totals of former Leafs enforcers, Reaves’ total this season looks flat-out pitiful. Past Leafs tough guy Colton Orr dropped the gloves 23 times for Toronto during the 2009–10 season, and going even further back, Leafs icon Tie Domi recorded back-to-back 26 fight seasons in 1996–97 and 1997–98. Granted, these were different times in the league, but even compared to Reaves’ dance partner from Tuesday, Olivier, who leads the league with ten fights on the season, Reaves just isn’t pulling his weight.
Reaves getting in more fights isn’t going to ultimately be what makes or breaks the Leafs’ season. They’ve clearly fared fine without his scraps considering they’re currently sitting atop the Atlantic Division. But, if Reaves were to combine his already helpful toughness with some exciting fights when the team is down and needs a quick pick-me-up, it’s not as if it wouldn’t help just that little bit more.
