It’s been a long five months, but guess what? Mike Reilly is finally back in the mix! The New York Islanders defenseman wasn’t sure he’d get another shot this season, but he kept his head down, put in the work, and never let go of that dream. And now, after all that waiting, Sunday morning brought the news he’d been craving—he’s hitting the ice tonight against the defending champs, the Florida Panthers, at UBS Arena. Reilly had already made a name for himself last season, earning a one-year deal with the Isles after being scooped up off waivers from, ironically, Florida.
His smooth puck-handling, offensive instincts, and fearless rushes up the ice made him a must-have piece in the Islanders’ top six. So yeah, having him back? Absolutely clutch. But now that Reilly is suiting up again, the question still lingers—what exactly kept him off the ice for all this time?
The New York Islanders dropped the news on X—“After recovering from heart surgery, Mike Reilly is on the ice for warmups!” on 16th March. Reilly, last hit the ice on November 1 in Buffalo, where a brutal hit from Jordan Greenway sent him crashing down, his head smacking against the ice. The concussion was bad enough, but during the medical checks that followed, doctors found something far more serious—a heart condition that had been hiding under the radar.
After recovering from heart surgery, Mike Reilly is on the ice for warmups! pic.twitter.com/72UYrrZVQM
— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) March 16, 2025
If not for that hit, who knows when (or if) it would have been discovered? A scary twist of fate, but in a way, a blessing in disguise. Even while sidelined, Reilly kept his spirits high. “I’ve got a lot of support and stuff, and I still get to come to the rink,” he shared with fans back in January. “I’ve been skating and working out a lot. I’m just going with the process a little bit here, which is still taking some time, but I’m hoping to come back here by the end of the season for sure.”
And true to his word, he put in the work, first skating solo, then rejoining the team, and finally, after months of waiting, he was activated off IR on March 8. Now? He’s back, cleared, and ready to roll. “I feel like I’m ready to play, I feel good,” Reilly said. “I’ve been skating on my own a lot and getting touches, and it feels good to be back with the team.” And just like that, the comeback is officially on!
This story is developing…
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