900-Game NHL Veteran and Maple Leafs Winger Reveals Shocking Retirement Timeline
Photo credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
The Toronto Maple Leafs enforcer Ryan Reaves hinted at his upcoming retirement from the NHL in a new interview on the Cam and Strick Podcast.
Ryan Reaves, 38 years old, is entering the final year of his contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs valued at $1,350,000 AAV. The veteran has a goal in mind entering the 2025-26 NHL season: win a Stanley Cup.
In Toronto, the impressive offensive depth hurt Reaves last year, when he had to be sent down to the Toronto Marlies in the AHL due to the team's trade deadline moves.
But for Reaves, it's clear: he wants to keep playing, get to 1,000 games, and win a Stanley Cup before retiring in two years.
In his own words:
"I still want to play. I'm 83 games from a thousand right now. I would love to be able to hold on for another two years and hit that, then ride into the sunset. I don't think I can make it past two more years, but I would love to get that.
The dream is always the Stanley Cup... for a player who plays like me, I think it'd be a pretty cool accomplishment. Stanley Cup, thousand games - in that order. I'd love the opportunity to try and get it."
The dream is always the Stanley Cup... for a player who plays like me, I think it'd be a pretty cool accomplishment. Stanley Cup, thousand games - in that order. I'd love the opportunity to try and get it."
Watch the full interview on the Cam and Strick Podcast here:
Next season will be the final with only 82 games in the regular calendar, with 2026-27 being the first to include 84 games, per the new Collective Bargaining Agreement.
If Reaves wants to get to 1,000 games, he'll need to take part in at least two more seasons, meaning he would be open to signing another contract next summer before retiring.
Last season, Reaves was limited to 35 games, being healthy-scratched and injured most of the year. In those games, he scored two points, all assists, with 28 penalty minutes. Over his Career, Reaves has played for Toronto Maple Leafs, St. Louis Blues, Pittsburgh Penguins, Vegas Golden Knights, New York Rangers and the Minnesota Wild.
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 9 | 373 ANSWERS 900-Game NHL Veteran and Maple Leafs Winger Reveals Shocking Retirement Timeline Do you think Ryan Reaves will win a Stanley Cup before retiring from the NHL? | ||
| Yes | 36 | 9.7 % |
| No | 337 | 90.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
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