The Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers played an unforgettable game last night. A classic Saturday night, Hockey Night in Canada, between two of the best Canadian teams in the NHL. With that comes intensity and physicality, which is exactly what happened with Ryan Reaves.
Reaves threw a high hit on Darnell Nurse that left him bloody on the ice. It took all but five minutes for the referees to issue a match penalty for an illegal check to the head. This resulted in Reaves being tossed from the game with the strong possibility of him facing supplemental discipline for his actions.
Ryan Reaves receives a 5-minute match penalty for this hit on Darnell Nurse. pic.twitter.com/hVZN9FJpRY
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 17, 2024
Reaves has been known for his strong physical presence in any lineup that he is a part of. However, sometimes that intensity can be carried too far, and it results in an injury. With that happening with Nurse and him being ruled out to return during the game. The Oilers also didn’t provide an update after the game, which may not be a good indication that Nurse will be returning to the lineup any time soon.
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Of course, all of this will be taken into consideration when the player safety department looks at the hit and issues Reaves’ suspension. Given the nature of the hit and it being to the head and Reaves’ style of play, it is safe to say that he will be sitting out for a few games at the minimum. Only time will tell what happens, but the department of player safety has released on social media that he will have a hearing.
