Patrick Roy Stays Behind the Islanders’ Bench; Darche Takes Over as GM
Head coach Patrick Roy will continue to lead the New York Islanders, as confirmed by the new general manager and executive vice president, Mathieu Darche, at his inaugural press conference on Thursday.
Roy, 59, has a record of 55-47-17 since taking over as head coach on January 20, 2024, replacing Lane Lambert. Last season, the Hall of Famer posted a 35-35-12 record, although he failed to lead the team to the playoffs.
Darche also announced that assistant coaches John MacLean and Tommy Albelin will not be returning to the coaching staff.Darche responded firmly when asked about the possibility of trading the first overall pick of the 2025 NHL draft.Someone would have to impress me a lot for me to consider changing that selection.
Mathieu Darche
The Islanders obtained the first overall pick in the next draft earlier this month, despite having only a 3.5% chance of winning the lottery.
Darche, 48, joins the team after serving as the director of hockey operations for the Tampa Bay Lightning for the past six seasons. During that period, the Lightning qualified for the playoffs every year, including winning back-to-back Stanley Cup titles in 2020 and 2021, and an appearance in the final in 2022. In his new role as general manager and executive vice president, Darche replaces Lou Lamoriello, who left the Islanders last month after seven seasons.
