EAST MEADOW, NY -- Defenseman Mike Reilly will play in his first game since Nov. 1 on Sunday night when the New York Islanders host the Florida Panthers at 7:30 PM ET. 

It's been a long-time coming for the 31-year-old, who had to patiently wait to get back in after undergoing a heart procedure on Nov. 19. 

He gets back in the lineup alongside Scott Mayfield, with defenseman Adam Pelech day-to-day with a lower-body injury after blocking a shot in their 2-1 overtime loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Friday. 

“I'm so excited. It's been a long, long time,” Reilly said. “A lot of work was put into it, with the hope of coming back this season. So, I’m excited just to be back with the guys here and ready to go tonight."

Reilly said he found out Sunday morning that he was coming back in and also said some of his teammates found out on the ice during morning skate. 

“Resilient is a good choice of word,” Islanders head coach Patrick Roy said. “It would be easy for anyone to give up and then he wants to continue to play, and he wants to do well. I’m happy for him."

Roy said he wants Reilly to keep things simple out there in his first game back. 

"He's a good puck mover. He skates well with the puck. So these are the things I want to see him to do," Roy said. "I mean, it's been a while, so might be a little rusty at the start, but I mean, sometimes, if you keep things simple and you're excited about playing, it makes up for it."

It's fitting that Reilly returns against the Panthers, the team that waived him last season before the Islanders scooped him up. 

Stay updated with the most interesting Islanders stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News to never miss a story.