Former San Jose Sharks Forward Ryan Reaves Announces Retirement

Retirement Announcement and Career Reflection

Reaves shared his decision on his personal Instagram account, acknowledging the physical toll of his long career. “It’s hard to make this league. It’s even harder to stay in it,” Reaves wrote. “For everything I put into my 16 years, the game gave me back x1,000. But unfortunately, Father Time remains undefeated. Every hit, every fight — it’s taken its final toll on me.”

Throughout his career, Reaves established himself as an imposing physical presence on the ice. He spent significant tenures with the St. Louis Blues—playing 419 games for the franchise between 2010 and 2017—and the Vegas Golden Knights, where he played 209 games from 2018 to 2021 and became a central figure in the team’s rivalry with the San Jose Sharks. His career also included stops with the Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Rangers, Minnesota Wild, and Toronto Maple Leafs.

Final Season with the San Jose Sharks

After playing two seasons in Toronto, Reaves was traded to the San Jose Sharks in July 2025 in exchange for defenseman Henry Thrun. In 50 games with San Jose, he recorded three goals and 37 penalty minutes, engaging in notable fights with Matt Rempe of the New York Rangers and Mathieu Olivier of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Beyond his statistics, coaches and teammates credited Reaves with providing veteran leadership and helping establish an identity for the team’s fourth line. Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky noted that Reaves was like a coach on the bench. “He’s helped the younger players, he’s helped set an identity for that fourth line,” Warsofsky said in March.

Reaves’ final NHL season was cut short on March 21 when he sustained a severe finger injury during a fight against Garrett Wilson of the Philadelphia Flyers. Despite the injury, Reaves remained on the bench to support his teammates for the remainder of the game, drawing praise from teammate Barclay Goodrow and winger Tyler Toffoli.