Islanders: Patrick Roy bans overtime after practice

Across the NHL, many teams are currently enjoying a long week off as part of the All-Star Game break. Only six games (in total) will be played in the league over the next three days, so there are a ton of teams already on break.

Of course, the Habs (who don’t play again until next Tuesday) are among them, as are the Capitals, while Alex Ovechkin didn’t wait to hit the beach.

Ovechkin and Wayne Rooney meet up on vacation as the Capitals kick off their All-Star Break.

(: Wayne Rooney/Instagram) pic.twitter.com/ycxBXyb1nl

– Washington Capitals on The Hockey News (@Capitals_THN) January 29, 2024

But of the lot, there’s also the New York Islanders, who have been the talk of the town in recent weeks due to their new head coach, a certain Patrick Roy.

Since his arrival, the club has a 1-2-1 record, which isn’t necessarily incredible. That said, the Islanders are feeling a change in atmosphere, as Roy has brought a new energy to the group.

The victories aren’t there yet, but there’s an esprit de corps forming, and the performances are interesting.

And clearly, Roy is here to change the culture a little, which he has already begun to do. In fact, among the changes since his arrival, the coach has forbidden his players to work overtime after training.

Basically, everyone leaves at the same time.

Our colleagues at HabsolumentFan also had something to say about this.

The purpose of this is pretty simple: Roy wants to create a spirit of unity within the team, and it’s a way of bringing the group together. No one is “above” the rest of the team to the point of spending more time on the ice, basically.

It’s not the only measure of this kind we’ve seen introduced at the Islanders: from now on, at the end of training, all the guys gather at center ice, where they form a “huddle”.

It’s all about solidifying the group, and even if Roy isn’t racking up the wins yet, it’s a good way of preparing his guys for the rest of the season, when the club will have to start winning by the ton if it wants to make the playoffs.

We’ll see if these various measures ultimately help change the culture.

In Brief

– Speaking of Roy.

– Impressive.

– Nice honor for Jacob Fowler.

Congrats to Jacob Fowler for being named the Hockey East Goaltender of the Week

He had a .935 save percentage against top-ranked BU in a weekend sweep. pic.twitter.com/mnbM7EeoOT

– /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) January 29, 2024

– Quite a line-up, though.

– Gives you an idea of the Jays’ future plans.

– Nothing less.

Taylor Swift has generated hundreds of millions of dollars for the NFL and Chiefs https://t.co/qdDxHeVl8c

– TVA Sports (@TVASports) January 29, 2024