Patrick Roy and the Islanders will be in Montreal on Thursday

I wasn’t ready for that.

After seeing the Ottawa Senators pass on the Patrick Roy deal in the last few weeks, I figured he’d be okay this summer, if he wanted to find himself a job as a pilot in the NHL.

From there, the Sens or other teams looking for a coach would be able to talk to him.

But in the end, the man who thought he’d have a quiet winter won’t have time to decompress: he’s just been named, to everyone’s surprise, head coach of the New York Islanders, a club with only four points (49) more than the Habs.

It took old-school GM Lou Lamoriello to get Roy back where he belongs: in the NHL.

It didn’t happen when everyone was talking about him, but when no one was talking about him. We assumed he’d take some time off, but here he is, back in the NHL for the first time since 2016.

It’s been a long time coming, as he left quickly (and just a few weeks before the Avalanche’s 2016-2017 camp) and his reputation will have preceded him, but the important thing is that this winner is back in the Bettman circuit.

Let’s just say that his successful stint with the Remparts (he’s currently the reigning Canadian champion) has helped him find his place in the sun in New York.

This will be his third NHL team, after the Canadiens as a player and the Avalanche as a player and coach.

At this point, I can’t wait to see him speak publicly. He should be entertaining to listen to, and I can’t wait to learn more about the process that led him to be interviewed in the Big Apple.

It’ll happen soon, anyway, as the Islanders host the Stars tomorrow night on Long Island. The game will be broadcast on TVA Sports.

Confirmed. @TVASports will present Patrick Roy’s first game behind the Islanders bench, Sunday 7pm for pre-game against the Dallas Stars.

We’ll follow up with the end of the game between the Maple Leafs and the Kraken.

– Sébastien Goulet (@SebGouletTVAS) January 20, 2024

What’s even more interesting is that after tomorrow and Tuesday’s game, when Vegas is in New York, the Islanders will hit the road for a one-game road trip.

The destination? Montreal, of course.

Thursday’s #Habs game at the Bell Centre just became a bit more interesting with Patrick Roy behind the bench for the #Isles

– Priyanta Emrith (@HabsInHighHeels) January 20, 2024

Expect it to stir. Expect fans to really want to honor a legend, whose number 33 is retired in the heights of the Bell Centre.

And expect Martin St-Louis not exactly to want to lose the game.

Extension

Normally, when a coach of his calibre arrives, the effect is one of electroshock. I expect the same in his case.

And with the Islanders two points out of the playoffs…