New York Islanders President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Lou Lamoriello announced today that Lane Lambert has been relieved of his coaching responsibilities. Patrick Roy has been named Head Coach of the New York Islanders.
Last season, Roy served as the Head Coach of the Quebec Remparts and won the Memorial Cup Championship and the QMJHL Championship. He had two stints as Head Coach of the Remparts, 2005-06 through 2012-13 and 2018-19 through 2022-23. He also won the Memorial Cup in his first season as Head Coach of Quebec (2005-06). Over the course of 13 seasons with the Remparts, Roy accumulated a Head Coaching record of 524-255-66.
Roy was the Head Coach of the Colorado Avalanche for three seasons (2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16). He finished with a record of 130-92-24 and won the Jack Adams Award in 2013-14 as NHL Coach of the Year.
The Quebec, PQ native began his NHL playing career in 1985-86, when he backstopped the Montreal Canadiens to a Stanley Cup Championship, also winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. Roy was the youngest player in NHL history to ever win the Conn Smythe Trophy. He would also help the Canadiens win the Stanley Cup in 1993 and was once again awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy. In 1995, Roy was traded from Montreal to Colorado and in that same season, he would win his third Stanley Cup. Roy would go on to win a fourth Stanley Cup with the Avalanche in 2001 and was awarded his third Conn Smythe Trophy, an NHL record. Roy retired from the NHL in 2003 with a career regular season record of 551-315-131 and a career playoff record of 151-94. Roy's 151 playoff wins record is first all-time and his 551 regular season wins record is third all-time. Roy was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2006 and his jersey number 33 is retired by both Montreal and Colorado. Roy played in eleven All-Star games and won three Vezina Trophies (awarded annually to the NHL's goaltender who is "adjudged to be the best at this position") and five William Jennings Trophies (awarded annually to the goalie(s) on a team with the fewest goals against).