Roy will remain Islanders coach, new GM Darche says

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Patrick Roy will remain coach of the New York Islanders, new general manager Mathieu Darche said at his introductory press conference Thursday.

Roy is 55-47-17 since replacing Lane Lambert on Jan. 20, 2024.

“Patrick is a winner. He had success when he came here the first year, he had success,” Darche said. “I went to meet with him last week to get to know him more and I’m extremely comfortable and excited to be working with him.”

The Islanders (35-35-12) missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs this season, finishing nine points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the second wild card in the Eastern Conference. They were 31st on the power play (12.6 percent) and the penalty kill (72.2 percent) and lost 12 games in overtime or a shootout and 20 one-goal games. Their 26 power-play goals were last and their eight short-handed goals allowed were tied for the fifth-most.

New York was without forward Mathew Barzal for the final 31 games of the season after the forward sustained a lower-body injury when blocking a shot late in the third period of a 3-2 overtime win against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Feb. 1. He also missed 21 games from Nov. 1-Dec. 12 because of an upper-body injury.

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The Islanders qualified for the playoffs last season after Roy went 20-12-5 in the final 37 games. They lost in the first round to the Carolina Hurricanes in five games.

Darche replaces Lou Lamoriello after the Islanders announced April 22 he would not have his contract renewed as president and GM. Lamoriello, 82, was with the Islanders for seven seasons. His 1,470 wins as GM of the New Jersey Devils, Toronto Maple Leafs and Islanders are second in NHL history behind David Poile (1,533). Lamoriello’s 325 Stanley Cup Playoff games are most by any NHL GM and his 172 wins are second to Glen Sather’s 187.

Roy came to the Islanders after guiding Quebec of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League to the 2023 Memorial Cup championship, the final season of his second stint coaching the Remparts. He won the 2006 Memorial Cup with Quebec and the 2014 Jack Adams Award after the Colorado Avalanche went 52-22-8 in his debut season as an NHL coach. The Hockey Hall of Fame goalie is a four-time Stanley Cup champion with the Montreal Canadiens (1986, ’93) and Avalanche (1996, 2001), three-time Vezina Trophy winner (1989, ’90, ’92) and won the Conn Smythe Trophy three times (1986, ’93, ’01) voted as MVP of the playoffs.

Darche announced that assistant coaches John MacLean and Tommy Albelin will not be back and their American Hockey League affiliate in Bridgeport, Connecticut, will have a new coaching staff.

“It’s my decision to make changes to the coaching staff and [Patrick and I] will work together to fill the assistant coaches position,” Darche said.