Mike Reilly will play in a game for the first time since Nov. 1, as he's expected to play with the New York Islanders in their game against the Florida Panthers on Sunday night.
Reilly skated on a pair with Scott Mayfield in morning skate on Sunday after finding out day-of-game that he'll play. Although there wasn't a set date for his return, Reilly knew he was getting closer and closer, but the news of him being in the lineup on Sunday morning was a still pleasant surprise his teammates and for him.
"It's almost like they couldn't believe it, some guys didn't know until I got on the ice," Reilly said with a smile when asked about the team's reaction. "I'm obviously excited. In the past couple of months, I was at the rink almost every day even when the team was on the road. The last two weeks it was special to be back with the guys."
The defenseman made a full recovery from a heart procedure he underwent on Nov. 19 after concussion protocol testing inadvertently detected a heart issue. The defenseman started skating on his own in mid-December, joined the team for the first time on Feb. 23 and was cleared for full-contact five days later. Reilly joined the team on the road for the first time on their California road trip, where he was officially taken off Injured Reserve.
Head Coach Patrick Roy expects a simple game from Reilly in his return.
"He's been practicing well lately and he's ready to play," Roy said. "I want him to keep things simple from the start, not trying to do too much. He's a good puck mover, skates well with the puck, these are the things I want to see him do."
It's been a long journey for Reilly. His teammates and Roy are excited to see him back in action after putting in hard work and staying positive in the past few months of being sidelined.
"Resilience is a good choice of words," Roy said of Reilly. "It would have been easy for anyone to give up and he wants to continue to play and do well for himself. I'm happy for him."
Reilly's return also provides some relief on the blue line for Sunday's contest. Adam Pelech, who blocked an Evan Bouchard one timer in overtime in Friday's 2-1 OT loss to the Edmonton Oilers, did not participate in morning skate. Pelech has 17 assists in 45 games this season, along with 68 hits and 65 blocked shots.
Adam Boqvist joined the team for morning skate on Sunday wearing an orange, non-contact jersey but will not play in their game against the Florida Panthers, per Roy.
The defenseman missed one game after he sustained an injury in Tuesday's 4-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings. Boqvist has five points (2G, 3A) in 12 games for the Islanders this season.
