Ryan Reaves ran into some trouble in another fight for the San Jose Sharks this season.
While he wasn’t knocked out cold this time, Reaves seemingly dislocated the pinky on his left hand after throwing hands with Philadelphia Flyers forward Garrett Wilson. The two heavyweights dropped the gloves just 1:48 into the first period of Saturday’s contest.
After the two combatants were separated by the on-ice officials, Reaves immediately began grabbing at his hand and grimacing in pain. He tried to pop the finger back into place himself before skating to the Sharks’ bench, where a member of the team’s training staff also attempted a relocation.
Reaves then headed to the penalty box, where he continued to try to work on his finger. Ultimately, he determined that the problem couldn’t be addressed without additional help and returned to San Jose’s locker room before play resumed.
Referee Brandon Schrader, a former player with a few fights at the junior level, assessed Reaves and Wilson dueling five-minute majors for “chucking knucks.”
According to Sharks reporter Max Miller, Reaves eventually returned to San Jose’s bench in the first period, but only took one 13-second-long shift before heading back to the locker room.
Initially, Reaves didn’t come out for the start of the second period, but emerged soon after puck drop. However, he did not take any shifts during the period.
The fight was Reaves’s fifth of the season and his first since getting knocked out by Mathieu Olivier on January 6. Coming into Saturday’s game, Reaves was averaging 7:57 of ice time per game with the Sharks and recorded three points, all goals, in 49 games.
Wilson was recently recalled by the Flyers and is playing in only his second NHL game since the 2018-19 campaign. He is the captain of the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms, where he serves as the team’s enforcer. Wilson is regularly involved with controversial hits in the AHL, throwing one against top Capitals prospect Ilya Protas earlier this year.
