Ryan Reaves Suspended Five Games..

9:04 a.m.: The NHL announced that Toronto Maple Leafs forward Ryan Reaves will have a player safety hearing following his illegal hit on Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse during the Maple Leafs’ 4-3 overtime victory last night. The hit, delivered as Nurse circled behind his own net with the puck, involved Reaves’ shoulder striking Nurse’s head. Reaves was assessed a match penalty and a game misconduct for the incident.

The hearing will be conducted via phone, meaning any resulting suspension will not exceed five games.

Nurse was visibly shaken after the collision, hitting the ice hard and appearing disoriented as he looked around. A significant cut on his head began to bleed as the Oilers’ training staff attended to him. He stayed down on the ice for several moments before being helped off and did not return to the game. The crowd fell silent as Nurse was escorted away.

Reaves was removed from the game and engaged in a heated verbal exchange with Oilers captain Connor McDavid before leaving the ice.

3:04 p.m.: The league’s Department of Player Safety has announced a five-game suspension for Reaves following the hearing.

The league has an interesting decision to make with regard to Reaves, the initial point of contact on the hit is Nurse’s head and it would meet the definition of a blindside hit. The Department of Player Safety will consider an illegal check to the head suspension but does retain the right to change course when they review the infraction.

Reaves does have a history of supplemental discipline during his career, having last been suspended during the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs while he was a member of the Vegas Golden Knights. Reaves caught a two-game suspension for roughing and was also suspended one game during the 2020 postseason for an illegal hit to the head against Tyler Motte of the Vancouver Canucks. Reaves was also suspended three games back in 2016 for boarding.

As for Nurse, his status has yet to be updated, but he is out right now with an upper-body injury. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet tweeted that he’s heard from Oilers play-by-play announcer Jack Michaels that Nurse was joking with the team’s trainers and walking around after the game, which is certainly encouraging.