Ryan Reaves ejected for hit on Darnell Nurse
(Photo by Julian Avram/Icon Sportswire)

HIGHLIGHTS

  • Toronto’s Ryan Reaves laid a brual hit on Edmonton’s Darnell Nurse Saturday night
  • Reaves was ejected from the game, while Nurse left with an injury
  • Read below for video of Reaves’ hit, plus a potential suspension

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers met in a classic Canadian matchup on Saturday evening, but things got ugly early in the second period.

Following a goal by Connor McDavid to put the Oilers up 2-1, Maple Leafs enforcer Ryan Reaves blindsided Darnell Nurse with a disgusting hit above the shoulders, resulting in a 5-minute match penalty and an ejection.

Take a look:

Absolutely ruthless from Reaves, who is known for being a dirty player. Nurse had his head down with the puck and was completely blindsided. If you look closely at the replay, Reaves shouldered Nurse right in the face. Brutal stuff.

Oilers fans on X were not pleased with the hit and there’s no question that Reaves is going to receive a suspension. It just remains to be seen how many games he’ll actually miss.

Reaves hasn’t been much of a factor for Toronto in 2024-25. He has a mere one point in 15 games and has yet to fight this season. He’s only averaging 8:07 TOI per contest, too.

As for Nurse, he was in the pain in clear pain and had to exit. The Oilers announced he won’t return, calling it an upper-body injury:

By the looks of the hit, however, it appears Nurse may have sustained a concussion. He’s been a key player for Edmonton, registering nine points in 17 appearances. The 29-year-old is one of the team’s most reliable defencemen.

The Oilers are looking to win their fourth in a row, while Toronto is searching for a second straight victory. The NHL will likely hand Reaves a suspension in the coming days, and considering how dirty of a play that was, it should be a hefty one.

It was very clear Reaves was intending to hurt Nurse and that’s exactly what he did.