Reirden was drafted by the New Jersey Devils in the 12th round, 242nd overall in the 1990 NHL Entry Draft. After being drafted, Reirden went to Bowling Green State University where he played for four years.[citation needed] From there he played in the ECHL and IHL for a number of years before finally getting the call up to the NHL with the Edmonton Oilers for part of the 1998–99 season.[citation needed] Following his brief stint with the Oilers, Reirden signed as a free agent with the St. Louis Blues and had his most successful season in the NHL during the 1999–2000 season, scoring 25 points. The following year Reirden was hurt for most of the year and played only 38 games with the Blues.[citation needed] Reirden then played the 2001–02 season with the Atlanta Thrashers. He played his last tour in the NHL with the Phoenix Coyotes during the 2003–04 season, playing in 7 games.[citation needed]
On June 25, 2014, the Penguins announced that Reirden and Granato had been relieved of their duties. On June 26, Reirden was hired by the Washington Capitals as an assistant coach.[4] On June 29, 2018, Reirden became the head coach of the Capitals,[5] replacing Barry Trotz, who left the team after winning the Stanley Cup with the Capitals due to a contract dispute.[6] In his first season as head coach of the Capitals, he guided them to a 48–26–8 record and the top record in the NHL's Metropolitan Division, but they lost in the First Round of the playoffs to the Carolina Hurricanes in seven games. After the Capitals again lost in the first round of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Capitals fired Reirden on August 23, 2020.[7] A week later, he was hired as an assistant coach by his former team, the Pittsburgh Penguins. Pittsburgh released Reirden in May of 2024.[8]