EP. 111 - Ryan Reaves - Always Work As Hard As You Can

Up My Hockey with Jason Podollan

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Ryan Reaves is entering his 19th season as a professional hockey player. Drafted in the 5th round in 2005, Reaves talks about his days in the AHL and what it took for him to make the jump from the AHL to the NHL.
Growing up in a very competitive family, with his father, CHL Hall Of Famer, Willard Reaves, and his brother Jordan, who also became a professional football player, Ryan said his dad never let him win and all his victories were definitely earned.
Ryan said there were no participation trophies in his house, growing up, and he takes the same approach to raising his own kids. He makes no apologies for his stance on this and says "If my son comes home with a participation ribbon, it goes in the garbage".
Every member on a team has a role. Ryan may not be a finesse player, or a 30+ goal scorer, but he has experienced a very long career, that is still going, because he has solidified his role as an enforcer and believes players like him will always be needed, no matter how much they try to take fighting out of the game, because players like Reaves hold others accountable for the their violent actions on the ice.