Patrick Roy has no interest in management

If you missed the news of the day, maybe even of the week: Patrick Roy has been hired by the New York Islanders.

No one expected such a hiring on this Saturday afternoon/evening.

A few hours after the announcement of his arrival in New York, he spoke to the media.

Here’s what I took away from this long-awaited (and not very high-quality) telephone press conference.

Lou Lamoriello was also present at the press conference.

Hard to dull a moment like hiring Patrick Roy as head coach, but introducing him on Zoom audio is a valiant attempt.

– Eric Engels (@EricEngels) January 20, 2024

1. First, Patrick Roy has no interest in management. In Colorado, he was the head coach, but he also had a say in management decisions.

Although Joe Sakic made most of the decisions back then. Roy believes it was a mistake to have multiple titles and that he was a dreamer.

With the Islanders, he’s simply a head coach and he’s made that clear.

2. The team’s new pilot also talked about his time in Colorado and how his return to junior helped him respect the work of head coaches in all leagues.

He also wants to establish on Long Island what he started in Denver, which is to build a partnership with the players.

Patrick Roy on what he’s learned since leaving Colorado:

“Night and day. I’ve learned to respect the coach’s job. To arrive early in the morning and help the players with my ideas. I love Lou Lamoriello’s passion and loyalty, I couldn’t refuse this challenge.”

– Patrick Friolet (@PFrioletRDS) January 20, 2024

3. Speaking of the players, he said he was very impressed by the mix of veterans and youngsters in the lineup. There’s good depth both offensively and defensively, and both goalies are solid in front of the net.

He also had the chance to rub shoulders with Semyon Varlamov with the Avalanche.

What’s important to the Quebecer: a family culture. He wants the players to be as close as a family, and that’s what he felt with the current group. The other night, he was listening to the Islanders game and enjoyed watching defenseman Scott Mayfield protect his teammate Mathew Barzal. That’s just one of many examples.

4. The coach ‘s goal is to bring some consistency to his team’s game.

Currently, the Islanders are two points away from a playoff spot, with a 19-15-11 record.

5. Finally, Roy is very excited about the opportunity, and according to him, there’s no way he could have said no to his new boss’s offer.

He’s very happy to be part of a great and loyal organization.

6. Lou Lamoriello also talked about his state of mind. Good old Lou was impressed by his time in Montreal (as a player), then in Colorado, and most recently in Quebec City.

He’s a winner and the Quebecer is the only person he was interested in.

Lou Lamoriello on NYI conference call: “Patrick Roy was the only person I was interested in. That’s why he’s here today.”

– Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) January 20, 2024

The GM was also impressed by the conversations they shared, his success wherever he went and his development with young players.

Lamoriello also made one thing clear: he would never have made such a hire if he didn’t think he’d win in the short term.

New York is serious now. Was Roy the missing piece?

To be continued.

Extension

The week gets off to a good start on Monday morning, when BPM Sports reports on the press conference and the weekend’s news.

Tune in on Monday as the program takes a look back at the New York Islanders’ hiring of Patrick Roy PLUS sets the table for next Thursday’s Canadiens-Islanders showdown! – pic.twitter.com/kdag3QoEhM

– BPM Sports (@BPMSportsRadio) January 20, 2024