Patrick Roy may remain with the Islanders in a surprising new role
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Skyler Walker
Apr 11, 2026 (10:46)
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Photo credit: Thomas Salus-Imagn Images
Patrick Roy may be off the bench, but Pete DeBoer still sounds like a coach who wants him close to the Islanders.
That's the real twist here.
Roy's exit looked clean from the outside, yet the talk around New York now points to a second act inside the organization rather than a full break.
The story picked up steam after Emily Kaplan reported that the Islanders could keep Roy in a very different role.
It stopped feeling like idle chatter once Stefen Rosner backed up the same idea.
That matters because Roy is not the kind of figure teams usually slide quietly into the background.
He carries presence, history, and the kind of personality that still moves a locker room even after the lineup card changes.
There also seems to be real respect between Roy and Mathieu Darche.
For a split that could have turned cold fast, that detail changes the whole read on where this could go next.
DeBoer had already picked up his first win behind the bench, but Roy's shadow still hangs over the room.
That tells you this is bigger than a routine coaching change.
Patrick Roy could still have a future inside the Islanders organization
The surprising part is not that the Islanders value Roy.
It's that Roy might actually accept a role away from the bench and stay involved in a support job.
A scouting or advisory track would be a sharp turn for someone who has always operated with edge and authority.
Roy has never built his name by blending into the background.
Pete DeBoer says he exchanged some messages with Patrick Roy and Roy told DeBoer he was really going to enjoy working with this group of #Isles
Money does not look like the driver here, even with 2 years left on what the Islanders still owe him.
The bigger pull seems to be hockey, pride, and belief in the group already in place.
There's also a message in the exchange between DeBoer and Roy.
Roy reportedly told him he would enjoy working with this group, which says the bridge between both men is open.
That kind of connection is rare after a coaching change.
Most exits end with distance, not texts, goodwill, and talk of staying in the building.
Now the pressure shifts to what the Islanders want their culture to look like.
Keeping Roy around would signal they still trust his hockey mind, even if they no longer want his voice leading every night.
And for fans, that's where this gets interesting.
Patrick Roy in the stands with a notebook would be strange at first, but it would also mean his story with the Islanders is not done yet.
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