Ryan Reaves and Arber Xhekaj drop the gloves in a heavyweight tilt

When the Leafs added the feared enforcer Ryan Reaves, fans began to hope that he would answer the bell to the Canadiens' tough young Arber Xhekaj in an original six matchup. Sure enough, just over ten minutes into their first game against each other, the two squared off.

On the forecheck, Reaves tried to spark the crowd and delivered a hard check against a Canadiens' defender. Immediately after, with Reaves not fully up from the collision, Xhekaj arrived to begin wrestling Reaves.


After starting on uneven grounds, the fight never progressed more than a wrestling match. Neither heavyweight was able to get more than a couple blows in, before Xhekaj pushed Reaves into the net and down to the ice, where the referees separated them.


For now, the Reaves and Xhekaj matchup wasn't all that fans hoped it to be. There could've been hopes for a rematch in this game too, after Xhekaj served the game misconduct penalty assessed for instigating the fight.


Hopefully, if not later tonight, these two heavyweights can have a proper rematch.