Ryan Reaves has retired after 16 NHL seasons, closing a career that lasted 962 regular-season games and took him through seven organizations.
The 39-year-old forward announced his decision Wednesday on Instagram. He finished with 66 goals and 74 assists for 140 points in the regular season, along with three goals and six assists in 113 Stanley Cup Playoff games.
“But unfortunately, Father Time remains undefeated,” Reaves wrote in his retirement message.
Reaves spent the 2025-26 season with the San Jose Sharks, scoring three goals in 50 games. He had previously played for the St. Louis Blues, Pittsburgh Penguins, Vegas Golden Knights, New York Rangers, Minnesota Wild and Toronto Maple Leafs.
St. Louis selected Reaves in the fifth round, No. 156 overall, of the 2005 NHL Draft. He spent his first seven NHL seasons with the Blues and appeared in 419 regular-season games for the franchise.
His deepest postseason run came with Vegas in 2018. Reaves scored twice in 10 playoff games that spring, including the tiebreaking goal in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final against Winnipeg. That goal helped send the expansion Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup Final in their first season. Washington won the championship series in five games.
Reaves accumulated 1,137 regular-season penalty minutes, with his role built around physical play and fighting rather than offensive production. He finished 38 games short of 1,000 regular-season appearances, although his combined regular-season and playoff total reached 1,075.
In his retirement message, Reaves acknowledged the toll that hits and fights had taken on his body. He thanked those who had supported him throughout his career and said he expected to remain close to hockey despite leaving the ice.
His announcement ended with a sign-off that referred to the role he had played throughout his career: “Mic drop, gloves drop. Reavo out.”
