"What are you gonna do about it?": Leafs enforcer Reaves hilariously chirps Corey Perry
In many ways, Toronto Maple Leafs forward Ryan Reaves is the gift that keeps on giving.
During Monday’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks, the veteran enforcer mixed his ability to produce one-liners with his intimidation skills as he and opposing forward Corey Perry got into a few heated exchanges.
Through some excellent lip reading, X user @TicTacTOmar determined that Reaves shared the following words with Perry at the end of the first period after the Chicago winger refused to drop the gloves with him:
“Why do you think I give a f**k what you say? Huh?”
“What, what are you gonna do about it?”
“Never back it up though,” he said, referencing Perry’s refusal to his fight request. “Never f**king back it up, never.”
Reaves and Perry chirping:
"Why do you think I give a f–k what you say? Huh? What, what are you gonna do about it?"
"Never back it up though. Never f–king back it up, never." pic.twitter.com/huWNCVopo6
— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) October 16, 2023
Things got feisty again as the second period began when — less than three minutes into the frame — Reaves knocked Perry into the boards. The Winnipeg native then pinned his opponent down to the ice, holding him by the back of the neck.
Perry’s teammate ā and former Toronto forward ā Nick Foligno helped break it up, giving Reaves a shove. As the 225-pound winger went down, Perry made sure to get a few jabs in.
After the whistle, a scrum broke out, ending in both Perry and Reaves laughing off the incident.
The Perry vs. Reavo shenanigans continue. š
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— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 17, 2023
Ultimately, Perry, 38, got the last laugh, though, as his team claimed a 4-1 victory at Scotiabank Arena.
The Haileybury, Ontario, native also netted a pretty nifty breakaway goal that ended up being the game-winner.
While Reaves didn’t get the opportunity he wanted on Tuesday, he’ll have plenty more. The Maple Leafs signed the 6-foot-2 tough guy this summer in search of a physical presence that would patrol the ice. The contract spans three years and carries an average annual value of $1.35 million.
As for when we’ll get to see the veteran duo in action again, the Leafs will play the Blackhawks in Chicago on November 24.