A speaker. On a plane? Ryan Reaves reveals that he, in fact, had a fully charged speaker ready to go for the flight to Minnesota. Road trips can be any way you want. You can sleep, stare at a wall, talk, listen to music, but how do the San Jose Sharks take their journeys? Reaves gave us the scoop.
“I mean, I’m probably the loudest person on every aspect of this team. I think Mar [Mario Ferraro] would be a very close second. Me and Mar have some really good arguments in the back of the plane, too,” he said.
At least for Reaves and Ferraro, this is expected. But the question is, what do these arguments consist of? Reaves offers an example.
“The last one was Joey Chestnut. Is Joey Chestnut an elite athlete? And I said, ‘He’s not an athlete; he’s a … an entertainer.’ Yeah, whatever you want to call him.”
San Jose native Joey Chestnut is a competitive eater, and the subject is really up for debate, but Reaves stood his ground on the topic.
“He’s not an athlete, but he [Ferraro] says he puts his body through something. I was like, I get that, but you’re just eating hot dogs. Mar is saying he’s an elite athlete. I strongly disagree with that,” said Reaves
This back-and-forth between Reaves and Ferraro isn’t just playful; it’s the kind of competitive banter that defines the team’s chemistry. Even when they’re arguing about something as random as hot dogs, it shows how close-knit the group already is. There’s a comfort level there that only comes from mutual respect and familiarity.
Reaves feels like that guy who always has an opinion ready, and honestly, that’s kind of what this Sharks team needs. They’re rebuilding, still trying to find their identity, and here comes a 38-year-old who’s been in basically every kind of locker room in the league. He knows what keeps a group together.
“It’s part of being on a team, and I think it’s really important for when you’re on the road to have team dinners and kind of be together as much as you can,” said Reaves.
That’s the old-school team-building stuff that doesn’t always make the box score but shows up in the culture.
And when Reaves talks about culture, you can tell he means it. He’s not the type to sugarcoat or say what sounds nice. He’s been on teams that clicked and teams that didn’t, and he knows the difference usually starts off the ice.
Still, for all the traveling Reaves has done on seven different NHL teams, he shows up for everything important. It is an obvious challenge when it comes to communicating with loved ones, being gone so often.
“FaceTime is really good with the family, for sure. You know, my kid plays hockey, so I can watch him on LiveBarn in Boston, which is nice,” Reaves shares.
You can tell that’s the grounding part for him. It’s a little window back home between the flights, the practices, and the chaos.
Being in so many places also means he knows about the good spots. With so many younger guys on the Sharks, Reaves has some spots in mind to give tours of.
“I’d love to show them around Vegas. I don’t know if any of them are of age yet, so it might have to wait. My favorite restaurant is Mayfair in Vegas. New spot in the Bellagio. Awesome,” he said.
It’s a mix of veteran swagger and the realization that he’s now surrounded by kids who maybe can’t even get into half the places he’s talking about. He’s the big brother figure on a team still finding its footing. He’s a guide who’s been there, done that, and still knows where to find the best dinner in any city.
It’s chaotic, but it’s exactly the kind of chaos that teams grow out of. It’s Reaves’ way of helping a young group figure out who they are when the lights are off and the stats are on the board. And maybe that’s what makes him so valuable right now. Not just the hits or the energy, but his presence. The Sharks don’t just need a veteran; they need a heartbeat. And Ryan Reaves? He’s blasting that through a Bluetooth speaker at 30,000 feet.
