OPINION: DOES THE ROAD TO ISLES SUCCESS LIE IN PATRICK ROY? By Jacob Mendelson

You may think Patrick Roy’s last name is pronounced like “boy” or “toy,” but it is actually pronounced like “Rah.”

Patrick Roy was announced to be the next coach for the New York Islanders in January of 2024, a move from owner John Ledecky and general manager Lou Lamoriello that surprised many Islanders fans. Roy’s announcement was met with skepticism from some fans, who expressed that there could be better choices for who will lead the team going forward.

Patrick Roy was a player in the NHL for many years, most memorably for the Montreal Canadiens. Roy came to the U.S. from Canada to coach for the Colorado Avalanche from 2014-2016, and won Coach of the Year in his first year.

Roy faces high expectations for this season: fans are hoping he can bring the Islanders to the playoffs. Hopefully Roy can restore Iyla Sorokin to his best performance. Sorokin has struggled this year with his goals against average (average goals scored in 60 minutes against him) being 3.17,up from last years 2.34.

The Islanders have been shifting leadership since Barry Troz was let go in 2022. In his four years as coach, Troz put the Islanders on track for a shot at winning the Stanley Cup, the widely coveted trophy awarded to the best team in hockey, until the team missed the playoffs for the 2021-2022 season. The Islanders were originally left with Troz’s assistant coach Lane Lambert in charge, who has since been let go as well.

Right now the Islanders seem to be heading into mediocrity. With a new stadium built in 2021 and Ledecky spending big money on the team, fans had hoped for greatness these last few years, but have come up short. Lamoriello has brought on players like Zach Parise, Scott Mayfield, Semyon Varlmov and Zdeno Chara who seem to be past their peak performance, which has not inspired confidence.

The Boston Bruins have been having a successful season. Their key to success seems to be a combination of seasoned leaders with young talent, setting a personal record of 31-9-9 this season. This model would be a good one for the Isles to replicate.

It is too soon to say what the future holds for the Islanders but Roy’s 1-2-1 record so far with the Isles leaves much to be desired. Islanders fans are die hard and loyal, but their patience is running thin. Here’s hoping for a turnaround!

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