Reirden went on to play two more seasons in Europe, but the introduction to coaching he received in Houston piqued his interest.
"Certainly, looking back on it, I can't think Todd enough for getting me started on that process," Reirden says. "He put me in situations to succeed with different players whether it was Brent Burns or Mikko Koivu and he sat me in the locker room in such a way that he could use me as an extension of the coaching staff."
McLellan says that he quickly realized that Reirden would ultimately become a successful coach. Reirden wasn't the first veteran player that McLellan invited into the coaches' room, but while some players may have tested the waters only to have the interest fade, Reirden continued to work at it.
"He was persistent," McLellan recalls. "He was always there asking questions and wanting to know what he could do, so I had an idea that deep down he really wanted to do it. He knew the requirements for it- the amount of time and energy and input that's required for it."
More than a decade later, that persistence paid off as Reirden earned a long-awaited NHL head coaching gig.
"As soon as I saw it, I texted him immediately and congratulated him," says Vegas defenseman Deryk Engelland, who spent six seasons playing for Reirden in the Penguins organization. "He went the long road and along the way, he's become a better coach."
Engelland was a career minor leaguer before finally making his NHL debut when he was 27. He credits Reirden, and the teaching he provided at AHL Wilkes-Barre Scranton, for allowing him to make the jump. Nearly a decade later, Engelland has more than 500 career NHL games on his resume.