Maple Leafs’ Reaves on playing former teammates: ‘When you’re better friends with them, you want to lay them out more’

It hasn’t taken long for Toronto Maple Leafs’ forward Ryan Reaves to get comfortable in the center of the hockey universe.

Ahead of Saturday’s game against the Minnesota Wild, his former team, Reaves told The Athletic’s Michael Russo that playing against old teammates can give a player a little extra motivation.

“Sometimes when you’re better friends with them, you want to lay them out a little more,” said Reaves on Saturday morning. “Unfortunately for them, I became pretty good friends with all of them.”

Reaves was traded to the Wild from the New York Rangers in 2022-23. In 61 games with Minnesota, he scored five goals and 10 assists for 15 points, including five fighting majors and 31 penalty minutes.

The quote comes just one day after Reaves made headlines for speaking out against Montreal Canadiens’ defenseman Arber Xhekaj following their fight in Wednesday’s season opener between the Maple Leafs and the Habs.

“I don’t like getting jumped,” Reaves told reporters on Friday. “I don’t know if I’ve ever really jumped anybody. You want to fight? Just ask me.”

When asked if he wants a rematch with Xhekaj, Reaves didn’t hesitate.

“We play them two more times.”

Reaves was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the fifth round of the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. In 14 NHL seasons, Reaves has dressed for the Blues, the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Vegas Golden Knights, the Rangers, the Wild and now the Maple Leafs.

In 829 career games, he’s scored 59 goals and 70 assists for 129 points, and has accumulated 1028 career penalty minutes.