Patrick Roy is back behind the NHL bench.
The New York Islanders named a Hall of Fame goalie head coach on Saturday, firing Lane Lambert in his second season with the team. The Islanders are on a four-game losing streak and are two points out of the Eastern Conference playoff spot.
President of hockey operations and general manager Lou Lamoriello announced the decision, but did not indicate the length of Roy's contract. Roy's first appearance as coach of the Islanders — and his first game as an NHL coach since 2016 — could come Sunday at home against the Dallas Stars.
“Patrick Roy was the only person I was interested in,” Lamoriello told reporters on a conference call on Saturday.
The Islanders' season has begun to wind down after a promising, if inconsistent, start. Friday's 4-3 overtime loss to the Chicago Blackhawks — who have the second-fewest points in the league — was the last straw for Lamoriello, whose team has gone 2-6-2 in its last 10 games. Lambert's group was plagued by injuries but the Islanders still managed a 12-4-4 record to put themselves in a good playoff position. The current bracket has the Islands ranked sixth in the Metropolitan Division and 11th in the East. But Lamoriello feels the season can be salvaged.
Roy has been itching to get back to the NHL bench ever since he left the Colorado Avalanche after the 2015-16 season. He has been the coach and general manager of the Quebec Remparts in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League for the past five seasons. Roy had two coaching stints with the Remparts from 2005 to 2013 and from 2018 to 2023. During the 2022-23 season, Roy coached the Remparts to the club's third Memorial Cup title. He resigned as coach and general manager of the Remparts after winning the Memorial Cup.
Roy coached the Avalanche from 2013 to 2016. During his tenure, he posted a record of 130-92-24, making the playoffs once (2013-14). Roy stepped down on August 11, 2016, before being replaced by current Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar.
Lamoriello doesn't have a deep list of former players and teammates to rely on when searching for a coach, and he famously stepped out of his comfort zone to hire Barry Trotz for the Islanders in 2018. Now, with Roy, he has hopefully found another legend who isn't from Lamoriello's inner circle. Give this team the jolt it needs.
As a player, Roy is one of the greatest goaltenders in NHL history. He played 11 seasons with the Montreal Canadiens and eight with the Avalanche, winning a Stanley Cup with each franchise. He is the only player in NHL history to win the Conn Smythe Trophy three times.
In 1,029 games played, Roy went 551-315-131 with a 2.54 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage. He was an 11-time All-Star and three-time Vezina Trophy winner.
Lambert, 59, succeeded Trotz as Islanders coach on May 16, 2022. His record with the Islanders in 127 games was 61-46-20.
Required reading
(Photo: Doug Bensinger/Getty Images)
“Food ninja. Friendly thinker. Explorer. Entrepreneur. Zombie junkie.