Ryan Reaves wears ‘Muffin Man’ mask in NHL bubble
The Muffin Man is back.
Golden Knights right wing Ryan Reaves arrived in Edmonton, Alberta, ahead of the NHL postseason tournament wearing a muffin-themed mask. All individuals inside the bubble must wear masks while in common areas and/or traveling to and from the rink.
Do you know the Muffin Man?@GoldenKnights | 😷 pic.twitter.com/w9AMMxZaRW
— NHL on NBC (@NHLonNBCSports) July 27, 2020
The face covering was an obvious reference to Reaves’ rivalry with San Jose forward Evander Kane. The two fought late in Game 3 of the Western Conference quarterfinals last season, and Kane later compared Reaves to the nursery rhyme character.
“For the so-called toughest guy in the league, I don’t know if he landed a punch,” Kane said. “At times, I thought I was fighting the Muffin Man.”
Reaves has since embraced the moniker, using it as his Twitter avatar during the heated series that eventually went San Jose’s way in seven games.
He also dressed as the Muffin Man for Halloween in October.
Reaves and Kane will not renew their rivalry, however, as the Sharks did not qualify for the 24-team playoffs.
Contact David Schoen at dschoen@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5203. Follow @DavidSchoenLVRJ on Twitter.