DENVER -- Patrick Roy will coach for the first time in Denver on Monday when the New York Islanders play the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena (9 p.m. ET; MSGSN, ALT, TVAS).
Roy, who won the Stanley Cup twice as Avalanche goalie (1996, 2001), coached them from 2014-16 before abruptly resigning Aug. 11, 2016.
“If I go back to the past, I mean obviously I wish I would have done things different," Roy said, "and in the time, I think I didn't have enough respect for the position of coaching. I think I learned a lot from it, and I think it makes me the coach I am today. So do I have regrets? No, because it makes me who I am today, and I think I'm in a much better place today than I was then. I have more respect for the position, more appreciation for being back in the League and working in the League.”
Roy returned to the NHL when he replaced Lane Lambert as coach of the Islanders on Jan. 20, 2024. The Hockey Hall of Fame goalie, who also won the Stanley Cup twice with the Montreal Canadiens (1986, 1993), guided Quebec of the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League from 2018-23 and said he wasn’t sure he would get another shot in the NHL with the way he left Colorado.
“When I made the decision, I knew maybe it would take time, and it crossed my mind that maybe I would never have a chance,” Roy said. “So when I got the call from (Islanders general manager) Lou (Lamoriello), and [had a] lot of good conversations with Lou, I was pretty happy to have the chance to be back in the game. I'm very passionate about our game, and I feel like I could help our group, and that's the mindset. I’m in to win a Stanley Cup one day, so that's what I want to do.
“I'm thankful for Lou to give me that opportunity.”
Roy went 130-92-24 as Avalanche coach and is 20-13-6 with the Islanders, including 0-1-1 this season.
The 59-year-old feels he has changed as a coach after his time away from the NHL.
“Other than respect the position, I work a lot harder," he said. "I think in the past, I would take things for granted. Sometimes it's nice to put your ego aside and understand that it's a privilege coaching in this league. And every day you need to put in the work. You try to learn new things, and I think that's what I've been doing a lot better than I was doing then.”
Islanders forward Bo Horvat is a player who has experienced each era of Roy’s coaching career, up close and from afar, and he’s seeing the benefits with the team.
“I played my first game of my career (against the Avalanche with the Vancouver Canucks), and he was the coach," Horvat said. "I think he did a great job when he was here, and he's done a great job with us. I think he's got, obviously, a lot of passion for the game. And I think he loves winning, and it kind of rubs off on all of us in here that, at the end of the day, as long as we get two points that's all it matters.
“We're a big family in here, and we support each other, and he's really brought that to light here when he's come in.”
Avalanche coach Jared Bednar is inextricably linked to Roy. He got his first chance at coaching in the NHL with Colorado after Roy’s departure.
“As far as me and 'Patty' goes, I probably owe him a big hug and a steak dinner,” Bednar said. “Everyone does what's right for them personally, but for me it just opened a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
Said Roy: “I always have the Avs in my heart. Same thing with the Montreal Canadiens and the Avs. So for them winning the Stanley Cup, I didn't go, 'Oh, geez. They won the Stanley Cup.' No, I was happy for them. I texted (president of hockey operations) Joe (Sakic) right after and told them how proud I am from seeing them winning that Stanley Cup.”
