In Surprising Turn, Patrick Roy May Not Be Done With Islanders Just Yet

Friday, April 10, 2026

Former New York Islanders head coach Patrick Roy

It was a shock heard around the hockey world this week when the New York Islanders fired head coach Patrick Roy with just four games to play in the regular season. 

But if you thought that kind of move would leave bridges burned behind the fiery Roy and the Island, think again. A report from Emily Kaplan tells us that Roy may actually still stay with the Islanders, perhaps as a scout.

"If you know anything about Patrick Roy, he's a brilliant hockey mind," Kaplan said during Thursday night's ESPN broadcast. "People want to pick his brain. Also, he's opinionated. That's how he gets into these positions. Now, he's being paid by the Islanders for the next two years. I heard that they even left open the possibility he might scout for them. That lets you know that even though he was fired, they still hold him in very high regard." 

Islanders reporter Stefen Rosner adds that Roy and GM Mathieu Darche "became incredibly close over this season." He adds that Roy still has a lot of respect and admiration for the organization, and the players. And the feeling is mutual, according to Darche: 

“Patrick (hadn't) lost the room. It wasn’t about [that] guys don’t want to play for him, by any means. Guys respected Patrick a ton."

Roy had led the Islanders to an unexpected playoff positioning all season, but a four-game losing streak into the beginning of April threatened their playoff chances, and it was just felt that they needed a jolt to make it across the finish line. 

They won their first game under new bench boss Pete DeBoer Thursday night, beating the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-3 and moving to within one point of the Philadelphia Flyers for the final guaranteed playoff spot (third place) in the Metropolitan Division. Each team has three games to play. 

Photo: © Brad Penner-Imagn Images

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