Legend has it that Ryan Reaves erstwhile told a squad helium was the solution to their Tom Wilson problem.
It surely sounds similar thing that would travel from the rima of the boisterous winger. There’s conscionable 1 issue.
“I ne'er said that,” Reaves noted. “See, radical marque quotes for me. But I conjecture if you bash person a Tom Wilson problem, I tin grip that. It is true.”
Reaves bid farewell to Golden Knights fans connected Wednesday night, signing autographs and posing for pictures astatine Park MGM earlier a send-off enactment astatine On The Record Speakeasy and Club arsenic portion of the venue’s play manufacture night.
The instrumentality favourite was traded past period to the New York Rangers for a third-round prime successful 2022, a determination Reaves saw coming but was disappointing nonetheless.
“They made immoderate trades that benignant of enactment the penning connected the partition it was clip for maine to go,” Reaves said. “When you don’t triumph the Stanley Cup, there’s ever going to beryllium immoderate changes. And, we haven’t won. We’ve been close. Sorry, Vegas has been adjacent the past mates of years.
“It’s conscionable portion of the business.”
Reaves, 34, has been reunited with erstwhile Knights manager Gerard Gallant, who was hired by the Rangers this summertime to usher a young but talented team. Reaves besides signed a one-year hold done the 2022-23 season, thing the Knights weren’t successful a presumption to offer.
Reaves said helium visited the Rangers aft the 2017-18 play erstwhile helium was an unrestricted escaped cause earlier yet re-signing with the Knights. Over the years, Rangers fans person been among the astir vocal connected Reaves’ societal media accounts.
“I get a batch of tweets from Rangers fans saying, ‘Let’s get Ryan Reaves.’ Like, nary squad ever says that, you cognize what I mean?” Reaves said. “So, I consciousness similar I’m benignant of wanted by the fans determination already, which is bully coming into a spot wherever you’re wanted.”
In New York, Reaves is scheduled to look Wilson and Metropolitan Division rival Washington 3 times, including opening night.
Wilson acceptable disconnected a adjacent riot against the Rangers connected May 3 erstwhile helium punched Pavel Buchnevich and rag-dolled Artemi Panarin to the ice, earning a good from the NHL. Two nights later, the Rangers retaliated by starting a enactment brawl disconnected the opening faceoff.
Since then, the Rangers fired wide manager Jeff Gorton, and the team’s deficiency of toughness reportedly was a reason. Forward Barclay Goodrow and defenseman Jarred Tinordi were signed arsenic escaped agents to adhd a carnal element. Power guardant Sammy Blais arrived successful a woody with St. Louis successful summation to Reaves, who has a agelong past of run-ins with Wilson.
“I travel successful and I marque definite the guys consciousness protected and marque definite they consciousness harmless going up and down the ice,” Reaves said. “When there’s an issue, that’s my relation to woody with. I’m definite that lawsuit past twelvemonth benignant of sparked a batch of it. But, I’m not going retired determination head-hunting for Tom Wilson.”
Reaves set the modular for aboriginal enforcers with the Knights, dishing retired plentifulness of crowd-pleasing hits and fisticuffs successful his three-plus seasons.
He scored the extremity that clinched a berth successful the Stanley Cup Final during the Knights’ inaugural season, and his feud with San Jose guardant Evander Kane helped ignite 1 of the league’s astir aggravated rivalries.
“I’ll ever miss Evander Kane,” Reaves said. “That’s ever going to beryllium bittersweet not seeing him play.”
Reaves besides became a fixture successful the community, starting a brewing company, starring successful commercials for the Southern Nevada Water Authority and building a shot hockey rink astatine the James Boys and Girls Club of Southern Nevada.
But helium was ineffective for overmuch of past season, posting 1 extremity and 5 points successful 37 games earlier missing the last 16 games with an undisclosed injury.
In the postseason, Keegan Kolesar emerged arsenic a regular successful the lineup, and Reaves was a steadfast scratch for the last 3 games against Montreal, signaling his clip with the Knights was coming to an end.
The Knights are scheduled to sojourn New York connected Dec. 17, and Reaves volition person a fewer chirps acceptable for erstwhile teammates specified arsenic Jonathan Marchessault. Reaves volition instrumentality to T-Mobile Arena with the Rangers connected Jan. 6.
“I anticipation I impacted the squad successful a affirmative way. I anticipation I near portion of the civilization successful the close way,” Reaves said. “As an older guy, you privation to physique a civilization connected the squad erstwhile you’re there. And I anticipation I did that. I anticipation the fans admit what I tried to bash successful this metropolis connected and disconnected the ice, and I conscionable anticipation they cognize that I had a blast doing it.”
Contact David Schoen astatine dschoen@reviewjournal.com oregon 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ connected Twitter.