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The New York Islanders will be without defenseman Mike Reilly for an indefinite amount of time because he is scheduled to undergo a heart procedure Tuesday, per Stefen Rosner of NHL.com.
Reilly has been sidelined since he suffered a concussion during a game on Nov. 1, and the heart condition was discovered when he was undergoing concussion testing.
“It was picked up through the different echocardiograms that you do for different reasons that you go through with any post-concussion situation,” Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello said Monday. “It’s probably a blessing in disguise of what transpired. They detected this, something that you’re sometimes born with but never knew.”
While there is no timetable for Reilly’s return, Lamoriello also said, “[His quality of life will be] 100 percent, and he will be able to play once this procedure is done. It takes quite a bit of time. It could be several months before he’s back because of the type of procedure.”
The defenseman signed a one-year deal with the Islanders ahead of the 2024-25 season.
He has appeared in 11 games this season after playing 59 games for New York last season. He finished the 2023-24 campaign with 24 points on six goals and 18 assists.
Reilly has been in the NHL since the 2015-16 season and previously played for the Minnesota Wild, Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa Senators, Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers.