Vegas Golden Knights enforcer Ryan Reaves was worried when the team hired Pete DeBoer after his creative efforts to get under the head coach's skin during their earlier rivalry.

DeBoer, who replaced Gerard Gallant behind the Golden Knights' bench in January, coached the San Jose Sharks throughout the two teams' bitter battle last season. Reaves recalled a tactic he used during one game to irritate DeBoer.

"Every shift that I went out there and there was a faceoff in the neutral zone near their bench, I would just stare at him and laugh," Reaves told TSN 1050's "OverDrive" on Thursday. "I could see it start driving him crazy."

Upon hearing that DeBoer had been hired in Vegas, Reaves admitted he was worried that his behavior could come back to haunt him.

"That's all I thought about when they said, 'Pete DeBoer is coming,'" Reaves said. "That whole game was just, like, flashing through my head. I was like, 'Oh man, I'm going to go down to the coast (East Coast Hockey League) after this.'"

Despite their history, DeBoer fit right into his new job with the Golden Knights, according to Reaves.

"It was seamless," Reaves said. "He's a great coach, he's a great guy, and it was a pretty easy transition."

The Golden Knights compiled a record of 15-5-2 after DeBoer took over and sit atop the Pacific Division with the season suspended.

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Tom Brady stunned the sports world when he opted to leave the New England Patriots after 20 seasons and six Super Bowl titles to reportedly head south and join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

However, the 42-year-old's decision to seek greener pastures toward the end of his Hall of Fame career is far from unprecedented. Over the years, many superstars across North American sports have left the places they became synonymous with to join unexpected teams.

Results varied among these players, but in most cases, the late-career switch provided a weird image of a former star in an unbefitting uniform during a forgettable final chapter of an otherwise celebrated legacy.

The outcome of Brady's trip to Tampa remains to be seen, and if anyone can buck the trend, it's probably Tom Terrific. However, in light of the GOAT's southern sojourn, let's remind ourselves of some previous instances when a player's last stop was more strange than successful.

NFL

Joe Montana - Kansas City Chiefs

Who better to begin this list than Brady's childhood idol? After four Super Bowl titles and two MVPs as the face of the San Francisco 49ers' dynasty, a 37-year-old Montana joined the Chiefs in 1993. Because he's Joe Montana, he still made the playoffs both seasons and even reached the AFC Championship Game in his first year, but that No. 19 just didn't carry the same sort of magic.

Jerry Rice - Seattle Seahawks

Speaking of 49ers legends, who could forget those 11 games when Rice donned Seahawks colors to close out the all-time greatest career for a wide receiver? The answer: everyone. The 42-year-old Rice was dealt to Seattle six games into the 2004 season after three productive but forgettable years with the Oakland Raiders. His stint in the Pacific Northwest resulted in just 25 receptions for 362 yards and three scores. Perhaps mercifully, Rice never suited up in a real game for the Broncos the following season after signing a one-year deal with Denver.

Emmitt Smith - Arizona Cardinals

After setting the all-time rushing record in his final season with the Dallas Cowboys, Smith, then 34, signed a two-year deal with Arizona. He started just five games amid an injury-riddled first campaign with the Cardinals then nearly hit the 1,000-yard mark for the 12th time in his second year before calling time on a Hall of Fame career that certainly could have lived on without his trip to the desert.

Ed Reed - Houston Texans/New York Jets

Reed refused to retire after winning Super Bowl XLVII with the Ravens as a 34-year-old and signed a three-year contract with the Texans. After quickly losing his starting role, Reed was released and subsequently signed by the Jets to close out his playing days, which could have ended on a better note had he walked away after hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.

NBA

Michael Jordan - Washington Wizards

On top of their shared membership in the Six Ring Club, respective GOATs Brady and MJ now share something else in common: late-career destination changes. The sports world was used to Jordan retiring by the turn of the century, but the thought of him returning to basketball in anything other than Chicago Bulls colors was lunacy until he joined the Wizards in 2001. His Airness still got buckets until the bitter end and had a grand farewell tour in his second year with Washington. Still, that dark blue and brown looked as weird on him as a baseball uniform did.

Allen Iverson - Memphis Grizzlies

Iverson signed a one-year deal with the Grizzlies during free agency in 2009, but he played a grand total of three games before leaving the team for what was described as "personal reasons." Clearly Memphis wasn't the Answer.

He did find his way back to the 76ers for a final cup of coffee in the Association later that season, but it was short-lived as well.

Patrick Ewing - Orlando Magic

After 15 remarkable campaigns with the New York Knicks, Ewing was shipped to Seattle for a season and then joined Orlando a year later for the final stage of his Hall of Fame career. At 39-years-old, Ewing started only four of 65 games played for the Magic, averaging six points.

Hakeem Olajuwon - Toronto Raptors

The Dream won everything there is to win over a dominant 17-year stretch with the Houston Rockets but was dealt to the Raptors in 2001 in a move that's largely been forgotten by everyone south of the Canadian border. Olajuwon was hardly a factor as Toronto qualified for the playoffs for a third consecutive year. He retired after one season.

NHL

Martin Brodeur - St. Louis Blues

Few players in NHL history are as synonymous with a team as Brodeur is with the New Jersey Devils, but the all-time wins leader opted to call it quits as a member of the Blues in 2015. Brodeur won three Stanley Cups, four Vezina Trophies, and 688 games with the Devils compared to just seven games with St. Louis.

Mike Modano - Detroit Red Wings

Aside from the most controversial goal in NHL history, Modano's No. 9 jersey flapping as he flew down the wing is arguably the longest-lasting image of the most successful era in Dallas Stars history. His No. 90 in Detroit did not produce the same profound effect, as Modano played just 40 contests and posted 11 points with the Red Wings before head coach Mike Babcock prevented him from playing in his 1,500th game.

Bobby Orr - Chicago Blackhawks

Orr was the Tom Brady of the Boston area in the early 1970s. The swift-skating blue-liner won two Stanley Cups, eight consecutive Norris Trophies, three MVPs, and two Conn Smythes during his Bruins tenure to cement his status as one of the greatest players to have ever lived. In 1976, chronic knee issues and complications with his agent forced Orr to hit free agency and ultimately sign in Chicago. He appeared in just 26 games over two seasons in the Windy City due to injuries before retiring.

Mats Sundin - Vancouver Canucks

In his 13th year with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Sundin, who holds franchise records in goals and points, refused to be traded at the deadline with free agency pending and the team seeking a rebuild. The captain's decision created plenty of angst among Leafs fans, and frustrations grew tenfold when Sundin sat out to start the 2008-09 season before signing with Vancouver that December. Sundin played 41 games with the Canucks plus a brief playoff run, and, as fate would have it, the lasting memory of his time on the West Coast was a shootout winner in his return to Toronto.

MLB

Sammy Sosa - Texas Rangers

After 13 memorable years in Chicago with the Cubs, Sosa joined the Orioles for a season, left the game entirely for a year, then found a new landing spot with the Rangers in 2007. His stop in Texas was more productive than Baltimore, and he did join the 600 home run club in the Lone Star State, but it was a lackluster finish to a polarizing career.

Randy Johnson - San Francisco Giants

Even at 45 years of age, Johnson couldn't get enough of striking out batters with his devastating slider, so he joined the Giants in 2009 for one last hurrah. The Bay Area wasn't too kind to the Big Unit, who crafted a 4.88 era in 96 innings before stepping off the mound for good.

Mike Piazza - Oakland Athletics

Piazza served as the heart and soul of the New York Mets before the end of his career brought him out west to San Diego and Oakland. The Hall of Fame catcher appeared in just 83 games for the Athletics in 2007, and while A's colors look nice on anyone, Piazza belonged in orange and blue.

Wade Boggs - Tampa Bay Devil Rays

Boggs hit the first home run in Rays history and notched his 3,000th hit while a member of the organization. Still, does anyone really associate the legendary third baseman with Tampa Bay when reflecting on his Hall of Fame career?

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The Vancouver Canucks signed former Minnesota State forward Marc Michaelis to a one-year contract, the team announced Thursday.

Michaelis, 24, was the WCHA Offensive Player of the Year in 2019-20, racking up 20 goals and 24 assists in 31 games while captaining the Mavericks to a 31-5-2 record.

"Marc has exceptional offensive instincts and proven leadership," Canucks general manager Jim Benning said. "We look forward to adding his skill and playmaking ability to the franchise."

The 5-foot-10, 185-pound forward has represented his native Germany several times on the international stage, including the 2015 world juniors, and the 2018 and 2019 World Championships.

Vancouver also inked forward Will Lockwood, the club's third-round pick in 2016, to a two-year pact.

Lockwood recently finished a four-year career at the University of Michigan, captaining the Wolverines to an 18-14-4 record in his senior year. He broke out in his junior year, tallying 16 goals and 15 assists in 36 games. He took a step back in 2019-20, though, recording just 23 points in 33 contests.

"Will is a hardworking, two-way winger with natural scoring ability," Benning said. "He plays with urgency and creates chances for himself and his teammates. We look forward to adding his speed and tenacity to our roster."

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Just over a week has passed since the NBA suspended its regular season, effectively launching a sports blackout in response to concerns over the coronavirus outbreak. Other leagues quickly followed suit, with the NHL, MLB, and MLS suspending their seasons indefinitely, and none look to be returning anytime soon.

Can't wait any longer to bet on those sports? Ironically, you can wager on just how long you'll be waiting for each of those four leagues to return - and you might not like the odds for the over.

NBA

The NBA was the first league to shut its doors after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for the coronavirus on March 11, and it's been at the front lines of informing fans and bettors just how long this layoff could last.

On Thursday, commissioner Adam Silver told ESPN's Rachel Nichols the league would resume "when public health officials give us the OK," which likely means mid-to-late June at the earliest based on the latest reports regarding owners' expectations.

Silver sounded optimistic but hesitant about the league's chances of returning this season, even floating the idea of an NBA exhibition game for charity during the hiatus. It seems unlikely players would risk injury for an exhibition if they knew the season was starting soon thereafter, though it's hard to project just how long they'll be waiting before basketball resumes.

The longer this season suspension drags on, the more pressure the NBA will be under to shorten the 2020-21 campaign, which would add a whole host of new logistical challenges in addition to a damaged 2019-20 season. That leaves two likely scenarios: A mid-to-late June return (+115) or a canceled season (+130).

The best bet, unfortunately, might be the latter.

NHL

The NHL and NBA calendars share plenty of similarities, but that doesn't mean the schedule for one will mimic the other.

On Wednesday, deputy NHL commissioner Bill Daly said the league wants to avoid any scenario that cuts into a full 82-game slate next season. That seemingly rules out plans resulting in the postseason extending into late July or early August.

Last year's Stanley Cup Playoffs lasted just over two months, and while the league could move ahead with a truncated postseason, that still doesn't bode well for returning later than June and still preserving a full 2020-21 campaign.

If the NHL hasn't resumed games by June 1 (+300) - which seems highly unlikely given current CDC recommendations - it might not return until next season (+120).

MLB

Because MLB had yet to start its season before suspending play, it can get the most creative with scheduling solutions.

The league has already delayed Opening Day by at least eight weeks, and it will likely need two-to-four weeks of spring training before starting again, which all but rules out a return by June 1. Talks of abandoning the 2020 draft (June 10-12) and international signing period (July 2) aren't great signs either, though money appears to be the biggest factor there, not safety and public health.

The only potential snag tied to reworking the MLB season is the league and players' union not coming to terms on how to handle service time in a shortened campaign, but that seems unlikely to derail an entire season.

The best bet on the board is a return in July or later (-185), giving a league eager to play its full season enough time.

MLS

While not one of the four "major" sports in the U.S., soccer gets the best chance to return before this summer in the oddsmakers' minds. Perhaps that's out of necessity: MLS is the least equipped of the domestic leagues to weather a lengthy work stoppage without revenue from games.

On Thursday, MLS announced it won't return until at least May 10, but that's still a more optimistic date than what's being projected in other leagues. MLS officials have also discussed pushing back the league's championship by a month, which might offer enough wiggle room for an early-summer comeback.

If you're going to bet on any of these leagues returning by June 1, take MLS, but it's looking unlikely we see play from any of the four before then. As somber as it feels, it's worth betting "no" at short odds on any or all of these leagues returning no earlier than June 1.

At least you'd get a small profit from your sports hiatus.

C Jackson Cowart is a betting writer for theScore. He's an award-winning journalist with stops at The Charlotte Observer, The San Diego Union-Tribune, The Times Herald-Record, and BetChicago. He's also a proud graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, and his love of sweet tea is rivaled only by that of a juicy prop bet. Find him on Twitter @CJacksonCowart.

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The NHL season is suspended indefinitely due to the COVID-19 outbreak, and while the league hopes it will eventually be able to resume and conclude the 2019-20 campaign, that's far from a foregone conclusion. This week and next, we're breaking down some of the major storylines that hang in the balance.

Believe it or not, this coming Sunday marks one month since the Toronto Maple Leafs failed to score more than two goals on a Zamboni driver - the Zamboni driver for their AHL team - during an embarrassing 6-3 home loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. For a hockey world currently consumed by the horrors of a pandemic, the images from that wacky Saturday night seem so distant, as if Sunday is instead the one-year anniversary.

Prior to the NHL's decision to press pause on its regular season, that forehead-slapping loss at the hands of David Ayres was arguably the defining moment of the Leafs' puzzling 2019-20 campaign. Now, as we wait for either an abbreviated final stretch or a full cancelation, it's definitely the defining moment for such a turbulent team.

With all due respect to Ayres - the emergency backup goaltender who milked his 15 minutes of fame before returning to normal life - that's an unfortunate tag for the Leafs. This squad, as flawed as it is dangerous, had significant moments ahead. Even if you hate them (hello, 30 other fan bases), there's no denying Toronto's highs and lows provided tantalizing theater. With a three-point lead on the Florida Panthers (who had a game in hand) at the 70-game mark, the Leafs were on track to clinch the third Atlantic Division playoff spot and meet the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first round. It's quite possible the best, or the worst, was still to come.

Barring injury, it was a foregone conclusion that Auston Matthews, the club's best forward, would reach the 50-goal plateau for the first time in his career. Thanks to his versatility as a sniper, which included adding a lethal one-timer, he had been fooling goalies with ease, bagging 47 goals in 70 games. That gaudy total put him one behind David Pastrnak and Alex Ovechkin for the NHL lead, leaving the door open for a thrilling Rocket Richard Trophy race.

Meanwhile, Morgan Rielly, the club's best defenseman, had just returned from two months of injury rehab. Would Rielly's presence down the stretch have helped Toronto clean up its porous defensive play? Would he have given overworked and struggling goalie Frederik Andersen a little relief in the lead-up to the postseason grind?

The Leafs' season can be sliced neatly into two parts: the end of the Mike Babcock era (9-10-4 record) and the start of the Sheldon Keefe era (27-15-5). If you were to judge them solely on those splits, they are clearly better off with the new guy. However, it's not that simple within the context of the paused season.

Toronto displayed an unpredictability from night to night; general manager Kyle Dubas used the words "Jekyll and Hyde" following the trade deadline. The Leafs flashed their supreme skill and puck possession capabilities in wins, yet were a complete tire fire defensively in losses. The highest highs, like 11 wins in 13 games from Dec. 7 to Jan. 4, were often preceded and followed by inconsistency and indifference.

What made this year unique was that it was the first official season of Dubas' great all-in-on-skill experiment. With Babcock out and Keefe in, this was finally Dubas' team. Since last offseason, the young GM has doubled down on skill and an offense-first mentality by surrounding his stars - Matthews, Rielly, John Tavares, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander - with Dubas-style players such as Jason Spezza, Alex Kerfoot, Tyson Barrie, Ilya Mikheyev, and Denis Malgin. The only player recently acquired who fits the bill of "rough and tumble" is Kyle Clifford, with whom Dubas had familiarity through a previous working relationship.

Tightening the focus on Dubas' grand plan was the state of the team's blue line. Up until late December, Rielly had been the only defenseman with a contract for next year. Justin Holl, Jake Muzzin, and call-up Rasmus Sandin have since been added to the 2020-21 roster, but the rest remains in flux because of an impending salary-cap crunch.

If the season is indeed toast, what happens to Barrie, Cody Ceci, and Travis Dermott? Dermott, a restricted free agent, is almost certainly returning, but the others are likely gone via unrestricted free agency. A chunk of Toronto's fan base will be OK with those subtractions, given the poor seasons from both players, yet their departures would leave the back end in a state of greater disrepair than it is now. Up front, the bottom six, which for the most part was underwhelming in 2019-20, is filled with uncertainty, too. The final dozen games of the season might have answered some questions about the future of Toronto's role players and the direction of the team, in general, heading into the playoffs and/or offseason.

Unlike the tidy ending to Ayres' moment in the limelight, though, there is no tidy ending to the story that was being authored by the 2019-20 Leafs. For now, anyway. Unfortunately, a 2-1 win over the Lightning - of all teams - on a random Tuesday in March may turn out to be it. How unsatisfying.

John Matisz is theScore's national hockey writer.

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The Chicago Blackhawks are sticking to their guns.

President John McDonough, general manager Stan Bowman, and head coach Jeremy Colliton will all return next season, Blackhawks chairman Rocky Wirtz told The Athletic's Scott Turner on Thursday.

Before the season postponement, Chicago sat last in the Central Division with 72 points in 70 games, ranking 18th in goals for and 21st in goals against.

Bowman has been the team's GM since July 2009, overseeing Stanley Cup wins in 2010, 2013, and 2015. He's been applauded for retooling the club after each championship while working within the salary cap, but in recent years Bowman has drawn criticism for some trades, such as dealing Artemi Panarin to the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2017.

Colliton, meanwhile, replaced Joel Quenneville behind the bench early in the 2018-19 campaign. He owns a career record of 62-58-17 without a playoff appearance. With several highly regarded coaches on the open market - including Bruce Boudreau, Peter Laviolette, Mike Babcock, and Gerard Gallant - the Blackhawks would've been able to choose from intriguing options to replace the 35-year-old.

Chicago is in transition. Veteran leaders Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane, and Duncan Keith are still performing well, but youngsters like Dominik Kubalik, Dylan Strome, Alex DeBrincat, Kirby Dach, and Adam Boqvist fill out the roster. If the young guns can mature quickly while the veterans are still effective, the team could put together something special.

The trio of McDonough, Bowman, and Colliton will be entrusted to ensure everything aligns according to plan, at least for another season.

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