Reaves reflects on critical Leafs fans, media: "They jump on you"

In the high-pressure hockey world of Toronto, Maple Leafs forward Ryan Reaves is no stranger to the spotlight and the heat that comes with it.

On the latest episode of the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast, the 37-year-old enforcer laid it all on the table, candidly addressing the rocky start to his 2023-24 season and the scrutiny from fans and media that accompanied it.

“It was hard for me at the beginning of the year because I was playing like sh*t,” Reaves, who signed a three-year deal with the Leafs last summer, admitted.”When you’re not performing here, the media jumps on you. The fans that are sitting in their parents’ basement, they jump on you.”

Reflecting on his challenges, he described a frustrating period where it seemed like nothing was going his way.

“I went through a little bit of a tough stretch there where I couldn’t get anything going on the ice. I was getting scratched and thinking, ‘Everybody wants me out of here,’” he explained.

For the Winnipeg native, last season also marked a new hurdle as he grappled with confidence issues.

“It was the first time I really experienced low confidence for a couple of months there. When I finally came back, I played better,” he said, hinting at his determination to turn things around.

While pressure is part of the territory in Leafs land, it hits hardest for the team’s star players. And once the conversation shifted to teammate Mitch Marner, who faced heavy criticism during the playoffs, Reaves was quick to step up for the forward.

“You can’t put a whole playoff series on one guy. It’s not like he was horrible. The points just weren’t coming for him,” he said.

Reaves’ defence of Marner was fierce, even calling out show host Paul Bissonette for comments he made about the winger this past spring.

“I felt bad for him. Everybody was jumping on him. [Bissonette] was jumping on him… If I was around, I would’ve slapped the sh*t out of you.”

With the offseason behind him, Reaves, who logged six points and 49 penalty minutes over 49 games last season, is looking forward to starting the upcoming campaign on the right foot.

“Hopefully I’m gonna start off where I ended and keep that going for the rest of the year.”

Reaves’ full podcast appearance is available below:

Toronto will officially kick off its 2024-25 season on Wednesday with a road game against the Montreal Canadiens.