Toronto Maple Leafs forward Ryan Reaves has been suspended for his high and dangerous hit on Darnell Nurse of the Edmonton Oilers. Reaves will serve a five-game suspension for his actions. This is the fourth suspension of Reaves’ 17-season career. In his previous three suspensions, he missed a total of six games. His last suspension was in the 2021 Stanley Cup playoffs as a member of the Vegas Golden Knights.
#Leafs Ryan Reaves suspended 5 games by @NHLPlayerSafety for his illegal check to the head of #Oilers Darnell Nurse on Saturday night.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) November 17, 2024
Ryan Reaves Gets Five Games
Nurse was the victim of a huge hit from Reaves on Saturday’s game between the Maple Leafs and the Oilers. The defenceman was coming around the back of his net, looking for a breakout pass when the Leafs enforcer hammered him. Nurse had his head down as he approached open ice. However, Reaves never let up and went through him with a lot of speed. Furthermore, the worst part about this hit was that the contact was made directly with the head. The replay shows that the head was the focal point of the collision. Also, Nurse’s head turns extensively to the left, possibly causing a great deal of whiplash.
Ryan Reaves will have a hearing today with the Department of Player Safety for an illegal check to the head against Darnell Nurse.pic.twitter.com/eSGIwmD46u
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 17, 2024
After the hit, Edmonton’s D-man was very slow to get up and needed to be treated by the medical team. When he was hit, he looked unsteady as he hit the surface. While lying on the ice, there was blood on his face and on his jersey. He was helped off the ice and did not return to the game. The Oilers were compensated with a five-minute power play but didn’t capitalize. Reaves received a match penalty and was ejected from the game. After the hit, Reaves had a face of regret but knew the consequences of his actions. It was later reported that Reaves went to the Oilers’ locker room to apologize to Nurse.
Tough Break For Nurse
It’s still unknown how bad the damage is for the Oilers’ defenceman. However, head coach Kris Knoblauch will hope he can return sooner rather than later. Edmonton are holding on to the last wild card spot in the Western Conference and are fifth in the Pacific Division. They could use Nurse’s efforts to climb back up the standings. Nurse is also coming off a great performance himself. Before Saturday’s game in Toronto, he had a three-point game against the Nashville Predators. He scored two goals and one assist, including the overtime winner.
Main Photo Credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images
