Overview
- Reaves announced his retirement on Instagram on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026, writing that “Father Time remains undefeated” and that every hit and fight had taken its toll.
- He closes a 16-season career spent with seven teams and finishes with 962 regular-season games, 66 goals and 74 assists for 140 points.
- Reaves built his value on physical play rather than scoring, amassing roughly 3,225 hits, more than 1,100 penalty minutes and about 90–100 recorded fights over his career.
- He played his final season with the San Jose Sharks, appearing in 50 games and scoring three goals, and he had sought one more year to reach 1,000 games but did not find a contract.
- Reaves leaves a legacy as one of the NHL’s last pure enforcers whose longevity showed how teams once used physical protectors, and he indicated he plans to remain connected to hockey while already holding off-ice ties such as his 7Five Brewing venture.