Ryan Reaves shares his two cents regarding teammate Cedric Pare and Arber Xhekaj altercation
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Ryan Reaves, the enforcer for the Maple Leafs, has voiced his opinion regarding Arber Xhekaj, who has been playing recklessly for Montreal during the preseason.
Though the 2024 NHL preseason has generally been dragging on, the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens Original Six rivalry is still heating up. The Maple Leafs' enforcer Ryan Reaves spoke out about the incident a few days after defenseman Arber Xhekaj struck out at Cedric Pare in the middle of the rink following the latter's injury to Patrik Laine.
"Obviously an unfortunate play. I know Pare wasn't trying to do anything malicious. Feel for Laine, trying to reboot his career in a new city, just obviously an unfortunate play," Reaves said.
Reaves won't be defending Ottawa Senators forward Tim Stutzle, but it's safe to say that No. 75 was definitely paying attention. Since that play, Xhekaj has gone on to take out the forward as payback.
With all of the emotion surrounding the Pare play, Xhekaj's retaliation, and the possibility of a heavyweight match between the two, the Canadiens and Maple Leafs regular season opener in a few days should be the most watched opening game of the week.
Reaves hasn't discussed Xhekaj's play in general; instead, he has addressed Cedric Pare's situation. As a result, it's unclear how Reaves feels about the way Montreal's young defenseman plays, but it's safe to assume that we will find out when the two face-off.
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