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Ryan Reaves takes pride in career, being a Black player in the NHL
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- Ryan Reaves takes pride in career, being a Black player in the NHL
San Jose Sharks forward Ryan Reaves is going to miss hockey whenever he decides to leave the ice and hang up his skates for good.
It's not happening anytime soon, his love of the game keeps him around. It's a privilege to have played as long as he has.
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On top of that, as a Black-Canadian player, Reaves takes pride in being a role model to the kids that look like him that aspire to play hockey.
"I think it's an honor to be a Black player in this league and have younger Black players look up to you and kind of look at you and say, 'you know, I could do that, too.' I think that's important to have representation there," Reaves told USA TODAY Sports. "I think when kids don't see them represented, it's harder for them to kind of engage and get into that sport. So, you know, that's just a way for younger kids to kind of get involved."
The game has evolved to where Black players in the NHL have become more common, although the sport remains predominantly white. It's across both genders, too.
Laila Edwards just recently showed the world on the center stage that Black women can do it, too. She broke racial barriers to become the first Black woman to play for Team USA ice hockey, score and win a gold medal at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan.
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Reaves, as the rest of the world, has taken notice.
"I think it shows how quickly the game's growing. You know, women's hockey has taken off over the last 10 years especially," Reaves told USA TODAY Sports. "I think it's really started to grow, and people are starting to take notice of the talent and to see someone like that representing their country and winning a gold medal is even more special."
The game grows when representation and diversity is showcased on the biggest stage and history is acknowledged. The Sharks recently held an in-game "Black Excellence Celebration" highlighting the Black history in their franchise.
The team was established in 1990, and their logo was designed by a Black man: Northern California-based artist and former Stanford basketball player Terry Smith. He was one of the many recognized.
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"It's a cool thing to see how quickly the game's growing, and obviously, obviously, there's room for more growth, but there's room for more growth in a lot of areas of different sports and organizations and job sectors," Reaves said. "I think it's cool to recognize those people have kind of paved the way for everybody."
Growing the game
Sharks general manager Mike Grier, who played 14 NHL seasons, became the first Black general manager in league history in 2022. He also played for San Jose for three seasons from 2006 to 2009.
Grier and Reaves were recognized with other Sharks alum including Mike McHugh, Dale Craigwell, Derek Joslin, Justin Bailey , Evander Kane , C.J. Suess, Joel Ward , Anthony Duclair , Givani Smith and Sharks Audio Network analyst Jamal Mayers.
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Mayers believes the game will continue to grow in the next five to 10 years.
"I think it's heading in the right direction. I think that it's kind of going to mirror society," Mayers told USA TODAY Sports. "I think that, you know, you're going to see more kids of color, you're going to be seeing more Asian kids. You're going to see more non-whites playing hockey, as we continue as a sport to make it more inviting, more inclusive, not only for the players, but for the parents that are in the stands, that are part of it, and it becomes normalized as the numbers go up."
Mayers played 15 seasons in the NHL. The league looked different then compared to now. He played from 1996 to 2013 and, Mayers admitted, it wasn't all good.
"I'd be lying if I sat here and tell you that there weren't things that happened over the course of my career," Mayers said. "I think that I got to a point, like, three or four years into my career, where I let go of feeling the responsibility of showing, proving that I'm a good teammate, I'm a good player, I'm all these things."
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He added: "If people were to think that I was a bad teammate or a jerk or whatever, or, you know, it had nothing to do with the color of my skin, I got rid of that and just was able to just sink into just being myself."
Mayers felt the pressures but had a support system and teammates that would stick up for him, he said. His emphasis was on ensuring the environment surrounding the sport is welcoming to Black people and other racial and ethnic backgrounds.
"The reason why I do the work is because maybe there's a kid out there, or parents out there, that are like, I'm not putting my kid in that environment, or maybe the kid is like, I don't need this. I don't want to do it anymore. And we're losing kids from playing the game because they don't feel welcome," Mayers said.
He added: "Hopefully, that families and kids feel like there's a space, place for them in the game. And to me, it's important for the game to grow, to make sure that all kinds of people are accepted and want to be part of it."
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Reaves nearing retirement? Not so fast
Reaves said he takes care of his body so that he can play as long as he can. He takes pride in his last name being paraded on the back of his jersey.
"It means a lot," Reaves said. "When I was growing up, I always wanted to play a sport, whether it was football or hockey. You know, a teacher asked me what I wanted to be, and I said I wanted to be a professional athlete. And she told me to change my answer, because it wasn't realistic. Well, it was realistic to me, and I took a lot of pride in what I've done over my career. See, I wear that, I wear that front crest with more pride, but with the back crest with a lot of pride, too."
The 39-year-old has played 16 seasons in the NHL for the St. Louis Blues , Pittsburgh Penguins , Vegas Golden Knights , New York Rangers , Minnesota Wild , Toronto Maple Leafs and now the Sharks.
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He was traded to San Jose during the offseason and the Winnipeg native said he wakes up with a smile on his face every morning to be playing there.
His career has seen everything but a Stanley Cup championship. His chase for that coveted title is still alive and keeps him motivated to stick around for another couple of years, especially now in San Jose.
"This team, the way it's starting to be built, there's a lot of opportunity in the next couple of years to do that. And you know, I would love to be around for it," Reaves said. "A couple years, I'm hoping, as long as my body holds up, you know, which it's been great this year. Yeah, I would love to play for another year or two, at least."
He added: "This is an exciting time in San Jose, you know, with the players that have come here and the team that we started to build, it's hard not to be excited about this team."
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Throughout his career, he's been a physical player and an enforcer for teams. But it's a style that can take a toll on the body. However, Reaves doubled-down that he isn't contemplating retirement.
"Hopefully it's not in the next year or two," he told USA TODAY Sports. "But you know, the fact of the matter is, you know, when you turn 40 and you played like I have your whole career, you know, it comes in at some point. I've been very, very fortunate. But yeah, no, I'd love to hold on for a couple more years."
Reaves is not thinking too far ahead, though, so getting to the 20-year mark is up in the air.
"I don't know if I've thought that far. I think at this point it's, you know, getting through this season, getting a good summer of training again, and then getting through the next one," he said.
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He added: "I'm trying not to think too far ahead, because, you know, this year is still very exciting."
When it comes to mind, body and spirit, Reaves said "everything is right."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ryan Reaves takes pride in career, being a Black player in NHL
