kimzey59
Registered User
- Aug 16, 2003
- 5,696
- 1,976
Whether you consider it or not, Reaves was and still kind of is an enforcer. He's much more than just a fighter, but to argue he wasn't an enforcer is ignoring the game from 10 years ago. When I say "old" NHL, I mean that it was more bruising and much more checking. Now, the game has shifted greatly to more speed, more skill, and more rush chances. I'd argue many of the enforcers that played before 2005 have either retired or have changed their game.
Chiming in here;
I agree that Reaves is the last "true" enforcer in the game(maybe Clifford but he's not dropping the gloves nearly as much as he used to). He's willing to throw down with anybody at any time, he just has a severe lack of willing opponents.
However, you will have a very hard time convincing me that Reaves can fight on the same level as guys like Probert, Williams, Domi, Twist and McSorley. In the "old NHL" he would have been considered a Berube type. Always willing to scrap, but lacking the real "fear factor" that those psycho's brought to the rink and doubtful to "win the fight" when going up against the big dogs. Far more useful in other area's of the game given that most of those "old school" enforcers didn't even realize that there was a puck involved; but they were a different breed. They were constantly dealing with brain damage and just kept going out there trying to hurt somebody. Most of the old school enforcers would be banned from the sport given today's rules.