When Dominique Ducharme was fired by the Montreal Canadiens on February 9, 2022, fans expected to see their childhood idol stay behind the Habs bench, but it wasn’t to be. Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes opted to sign Martin St-Louis and Patrick Roy had to continue biding his time.
After stepping down as coach of the Colorado Avalanche with a few weeks left in the 2016-2017 season because he felt he didn’t have enough input into player personnel decisions, Roy took a few seasons away from hockey. He then returned to coaching and GM roles in the QMJHL with the Quebec Remparts. After winning his second Memorial Cup in June 2023, he resigned from his duties, making it clear that he hoped for a role in the NHL.
Related: Canadiens: Tremblay lit the match, Houle was taken for a ride…
Seven months later, New York Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello called and offered him the Isles head coaching job. Roy managed to right the ship in New York and guide his team to the playoffs, but was unable to get past the first round. In his post-mortem season, when asked which changes could be madethe grizzled GM said:
We’ll talk about it. We will talk about this together. We spend a lot of time together. We will create whatever is best, but we are excited.
This summer, the Islanders signed UFA Anthony Duclair to a four-year, $14 million contract and it wasn’t Lamoriello who recruited the forward, it was Roy. It appears he has found a place where he can contribute to players’ personnel decisions.
Speaking to French television station RDS, Duclair mentioned that he was looking forward to playing for Roy again. The forward played junior hockey for Roy’s Remparts and said he gets along well with his “new” coach and that, despite it being a long time ago, he knows exactly what the bench boss expects of him and the team.
RDS interviewed Duclair at the Duclair (Bokondji) Imama Hockey Camp, a venture that is precious to NHL players and hosts around 60 BIPOC athletes between the ages of seven and 15.
This summer camp isn’t the only initiative in the city that helps increase diversity in hockey. During the regular season, the Jusqu’Au Bourg organization teaches first- or second-generation immigrant children to play hockey. Founder Alexandria Aubourg said wherever immigrants go in the city, they are a minority, but not in your program. There, they are free to learn without being judged, as everyone has approximately the same skill level.
In New York, Duclair aims to make his mark not only on the ice, but off it as well. Don’t be surprised if the 28-year-old creates another program to promote diversity in hockey south of the border. It seems that Roy has not only become a good player but also a good role model for many aspiring young players.
Follow Karine on X @KarineHains Blue sky @karinehains.bsky.social and topics @karinehains
