Patrick Roy, who led the Islanders to a 35-35-12 record in his first full season with the team, will remain the team’s head coach going into next season, recently appointed general manager Mathieu Darche said on Thursday.
However, assistant coaches John MacLean and Tommy Albelin will not return, Darche said.
Roy was hired by the Islanders midway through the 2023-24 season after Lane Lambert was fired on Jan. 20, 2024. Roy steered the Islanders to a 20-12-5 record the rest of the way, helping them to a playoff berth. They lost in five games to the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Islanders were unable to remain on that track this past season, however, as a poor final two months that saw them go 9-10-5 pushed the team out of the playoff race and into the lottery. They finished sixth in the Metropolitan Division.
Their offence took a tumble, as their 2.71 goal per game was the fifth-worst mark in the league and their 26 power-play goals were tied for last with the Anaheim Ducks. They also had the second-worst penalty kill in the league at 72.2 per cent.
No player on the roster managed to crack the 60-point threshold, as Bo Horvat led the way with 57 (28 goals, 29 assists).
Needing a big change, the Islanders traded long-time forward Brock Nelson to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for highly touted centre Calum Ritchie and a handful of picks.
Despite the lack of success in-season, they managed to win big at the lottery, securing the No. 1 overall selection in the upcoming 2025 NHL Draft.
Darche was hired by the Islanders from the Tampa Bay Lightning last week after the team parted ways with former president and general manager Lou Lamoriello in April.
