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The Life O' Reilly: Former Senators Defenseman Hoists The Stanley Cup
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- The Life O' Reilly: Former Senators Defenseman Hoists The Stanley Cup
It's been a long road to get here, but former Ottawa Senators defenseman Mike Reilly has himself a Stanley Cup ring.
Reilly, the lone former Senator on the Cup-winning Carolina Hurricanes , was a healthy scratch in the final game on Sunday night, a 3-0 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights , but was still a key member of the club this season.
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So, as is tradition, he fired on his skates and full gear to be part of the photos and on-ice celebrations.
The Wrap Around show recentlly discussed the idea of the Senators going after Jake DeBrusk in a trade.
Reilly signed with the Hurricanes as a free agent and appeared in 42 regular-season games this season, recording nine points. The Minnesota native also contributed during Carolina's playoff run, picking up two points in two postseason games against the Flyers, including a two-assist performance in Game 2 of the Eastern Semifinals.
Having a player as good as Reilly as a black ace in the playoffs certainly speaks to the 'Canes depth.
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"Yeah, I'm probably the extra guy, but I understand," Reilly said after his two-point game last month. "I'm just trying to stay as ready as I can and as sharp as I can. At times, it's not that easy, but when your name gets called, you gotta be ready."
Signing with a team as good as Carolina, the eventual Cup winner, Reilly had to know he might be in a battle for playing time. But he got into just enough games this season, one more than the 41-game minimum required to have his name engraved on the Cup.
It's certainly been an interesting few years for Reilly, who's with his seventh NHL team. During his stop with the Islanders in 2024, three years after he left the Senators, he suffered a concussion, and during routine testing, doctors discovered he needed heart surgery to address a preexisting condition.
Who knew that a concussion could have a silver lining?
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Moments like that suddenly shove hockey to the background and make you think about life and the big picture, but Reilly had a successful procedure and was obviously able to make a full recovery.
That ordeal, combined with his long NHL road to get here, made the former Senator's Sunday night victory party all the sweeter.
By Steve Warne The Hockey News
This story was first published at The Hockey News' Ottawa Senators site . Check out more from THN.com/Ottawa at the links below.
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