Reaves Adds 1,2 Punch

ST. PAUL, Minn. --Marcus Foligno knows firsthand what kind of punch Ryan Reaves packs. He came into contact with Reaves' right fist 44 days ago in the Wild's season opener against the New York Rangers on Oct. 13.
The 6-foot-2, 226-pound Reaves and the 6-foot-3, 226-pound Moose exchanged haymakers after Foligno hit Rangers defenseman K'Andre Miller. A hit Reaves took exception to.
It was a heavyweight tilt between two of the most respected enforcers in the league. But, in Foligno's eyes, the winner is contested.
"I don't know, I never went down," Foligo said with a laugh. "If he would have knocked me over he would have won it, but his punches weren't hard enough to pull me over."
Foligno was the first guy to reach out and text Reaves after the Wild acquired the forward from the Rangers in exchange for a 2025 fifth-round NHL Entry draft pick on Nov. 23.
Water under the enforcer bridge.

"He texted me after and said we'd be meeting on better terms," Reaves said. "I said it was never bad terms, it was just business. I've heard good things about him throughout my career. I'm sure we're going to be good friends."
Bill Guerin said the acquisition of Reaves nearly one-quarter through the regular season, was as much about adding another large body and physical presence as it was injecting energy into a team that has seen its fair share of ups and downs so far through the season.
Selected in the fifth round by St. Louis in the 2005 draft (156th overall), Reaves has 54 goals and 114 points through 768 career games.
And 994 penalty minutes.

"I didn't really fight a ton in juniors," said Reaves, a Winnipeg native who spent three years with the Brandon Wheat Kings of the Western Hockey League. "Even in my first year in the AHL, I didn't and then the coach sat me down and said, 'If you want to make the NHL you're going to have to fight.' So I went home and took boxing lessons and the next year basically fought everything that moved."
Reaves, son of Canadian Football League Winnipeg Blue Bombers legend and two-year NFLer Williard Reaves, said he faced a lot of naysayers when it came to his journey of professional hockey.
"The haters motivate me more than anything," said Reaves, who started playing hockey at age 5 and football at age 8 before electing to play only hockey in his teens. "W lot of people said I had too big of feet and I was too slow. So I adjusted my game. There were a lot of people that said I wasn't good enough to play. I found a niche. I wasn't a fighter and I turned into a fighter when I was younger. Then the game got faster and I stopped fighting as much and tried to keep up with those young guys."

While Reaves has earned his chops through his fists, former teammates and even Reaves himself admits that his personality off the ice couldn't be further opposite 'mean guy'.
"I'm the exact opposite guy on the ice," he said with a smile. "A lot of guys hate me on the ice, but off the ice I hope most guys like me. Usually they're on my team though. I don't know many guys that like me on other teams."
Marc-Andre Fleury, who was Reaves' teammate in Vegas from 2017-20, agreed, noting that having Reaves in the locker room might take some of the attention off of him when pranks are pulled.
"He's so loud over there," Fleury jabbed. "He's been a good friend though. I think he's going to fit in just fine here."
Reaves is currently on a line with Foligno and Joel Eriksson Ek with the intent to shut down the oppositions top line with the trios big bod and aggressive forecheck.
For Reaves, who slotted into the lineup for just 12 games this year in New York where he was held without a point, he's just excited for a continued opportunity to play hockey.
"It's not an easy league to stay in for a player like me that plays my style," he said. "You know 13 years is a long time. There's a lot of miles on this body and a lot of adjustments I've had to make. I take a lot of pride in it.
"…I don't take any day for granted. I think I've played long than even I thought I probably would. I know careers don't last long and being 35 it's coming to an end. Hopefully not too soon. You've got to enjoy every day."
RYAN REAVES FAST FACTS
Age: 35
Shoots: Right
Family: Wife, 6-year-old son, 3-year-old daughter
Previous NHL teams: St. Louis Blues (2010-17), Pittsburgh Penguins (2017-18), Vegas Golden Knights (2017-21), New York Rangers (2021-22, 12 games 2022-23)
Toughest fight: "Brian McGrattan. It was a tough fight. I actually concussed him. I cut him open. I probably had a concussion too, I had four golf balls on my forehead. But that was the first heavyweight I ever fought, and I think that was the first time I realized how tough I was because I never really had gone up against any true heavyweight before.
Connor Dewar](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlC9hTreQ_c)