Maple Leafs’ Reaves receives match penalty for hit that injures Oilers’ Nurse

Ryan Reaves‘ night came to an abrupt end on Saturday.

The bruising Maple Leafs forward was ejected from Saturday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers after he received a five-minute match penalty for a hit on Oilers defenceman Darnell Nurse.

Reaves caught Nurse with his head down behind the Oilers’ net and appeared to hit the Oilers defenceman in the head with his shoulder.

Nurse, bloody and appearing dazed, stayed down on the ice after the hit and was forced to leave the game. The team later announced that Nurse would not return because of an upper-body injury.

Per NHL rules, a match penalty means there will be an automatic review of the play by NHL player safety.

Reaves has been suspended three times in his career for a total of six games. His last suspension came during the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs when he was suspended two games for a hit on Colorado Avalanche defenceman Ryan Graves.

In 16 games with the Leafs this season, Reaves has one assist.