Welcome aboard, Mike!

BROSSARD - Newcomer Mike Reilly hit the ice on Tuesday morning at the Bell Sports Complex alongside a few familiar faces.

Chief among them was fellow Minnesota native Charlie Lindgren. The pair have known one another since they were kids.
"We grew up probably 20 minutes away from each other. We played AAA in the summer together and we have a lot of similar friends. I know he's best friends with [Brady] Skjei on the Rangers, who was my roommate in college, so there's that connection there," said Reilly, who was acquired from the Minnesota Wild on Monday in exchange for a fifth-round pick in 2019.
"Me and Charlie were smaller guys back in the day and never made the big teams or development camps, so I remember me and him stuck together a little bit. We still see each other in the summer, so I'm kind of pretty close to him. It's pretty cool to see him do well. Two Minnesota guys, it's never a bad thing," added the 24-year-old defenseman, a University of Minnesota grad.

If Reilly was happy to be joining forces with the Lakeville native again, it's safe to say that Lindgren was equally excited when the news broke as the trade deadline expired.
"We go way back. Age 10, I think, is when we started playing together," recalled Lindgren, who reminisced about their playing days together with the Minnesota IceMen - and against one another when the young netminder was still at St. Cloud State. "He's a guy with tremendous talent. I remember him from college, playing quarterback on the power play. He could do some special things with the puck. He's definitely a good add."
Interestingly enough, Alex Galchenyuk was actually a teammate of Reilly's for Team USA at the 2013 World Junior Hockey Championship in Russia when the Americans claimed the gold medal.
"He was one of the best defenseman in the tournament, so it's nice to have him here," praised Galchenyuk. "He gets pucks through. You can see how skilled he is when there's just a little bit of space - you give him a second or two and he's going to make a great play."
No doubt having connections like that should make Reilly's transition to his new surroundings somewhat easier going forward.
Now, it's up to the three-year NHL veteran to deliver on the ice.
"I feel like the opportunity is going to be good here for me and I'm looking forward to getting the ball rolling," affirmed Reilly, who appeared in 38 games with Bruce Boudreau's contingent this season before being dealt to the Canadiens, amassing two goals and 10 points, while averaging 12:21 of ice time per outing. "I'm just going to try and go out there and play. I think there's a few tweaks in the way they do things here defensively a little bit in the neutral zone, but that's something that just kind of comes over time. It starts with good habits and trying to do it day in and day out. Eventually, it becomes second nature."

Based on his own scouting report of himself, Reilly is confident that his style of game will prove to be a good fit in Montreal as he settles in on the back end.
"I like to use my speed and make passes up to the forwards. Just from what I've seen from the first practice, it seems like there are a lot of skilled guys here. A guy like me, I love playing with guys like that, guys that can hit the fourth guy coming in late and make plays and be creative," insisted Reilly, a fourth-round pick of the Columbus Blue Jackets, 98th overall, in 2011. "I'm not the most physical guy, but I try to get away with my skating. Things like tight gaps and a good stick, I think I have an underrated shot, too."
During his post-practice press conference, head coach Claude Julien indicated that Reilly could very well make his Habs debut on Wednesday night against the New York Islanders at the Bell Centre.
The veteran bench boss is eager to see what his new charge can bring to the table.
"We know his strengths and his attributes. It's just a question of seeing him in action," said Julien, who likened Reilly to youngster Victor Mete. "Good skater, good stick, smart player. I think you need a lot more of that to move the puck out of your own end."

If Reilly does suit up against John Tavares and company, his father, Mike - an eighth-round pick of the Canadiens, 140th overall, in 1977 - will likely be watching from home. But, he's hoping to have him in the stands down the road.
"I think he was at a training camp or two, maybe, one for sure. It's pretty funny, I think. He probably knows the city a bit better than me. That's pretty cool," said Reilly. "Now that I'm here, it's definitely pretty special. Hopefully, he can come see me play here soon."