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Ryan Reaves Takes Aim at Maple Leafs Head Coach Craig Berube After Trade to San Jose

Originally posted on House of Hockey | By Daniel Lucente | Last updated Jul 12, 2025 10:39 AM ET

NHL enforcer Ryan Reaves, now traded from Toronto to San Jose, blasted Craig Berube for not trusting him and taking him out of games most of the time.

San Jose's newly acquired Ryan Reaves believes Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube lost trust in his ability to contribute, which was the main factor for the veteran enforcer being dealt out of the city.

Leafs general manager Brad Treliving traded Ryan Reaves to the San Jose Sharks earlier this week, and Reaves hasn't been shy talking about his time in Toronto , especially regarding head coach Craig Berube.

'Just a lack of trust very early ... I had one bad game & I was out of the lineup for 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 games. I'd come back in, have a good game, but taken right back out. I really could never gain any momentum ...'
- Ryan Reaves

Reaves only played 84 games with the Maple Leafs

Reaves was mostly out of the lineup during his tenure as a Maple Leaf, either dealing with a lower-body injury or in the press box as a healthy scratch. He played a total of just 84 regular-season games throughout two seasons.

Reaves tried to put the injury troubles behind him last summer and focused on his skating throughout the summer of 2024, as he looked to find ways to stay in the game. He knew the league was getting younger and faster.

Despite the training, Reaves appeared a step behind most nights when he played, and it became obvious Berube felt the Leafs had better options to dress up front, forcing him up into the press box.

Being waived and demoted at 38 years old is a tough pill to swallow, and frankly, that became the beginning of the end for Reaves as a Maple Leaf.

Now, he's a Shark, and he's excited to bring some veteran leadership to a very young roster in San Jose, which, as an organization, has been quite active so far, signing players this summer.

This article first appeared on House of Hockey and was syndicated with permission.

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