Islanders Fire Patrick Roy, Hire Peter DeBoer as New Head Coach

General Manager and Executive Vice President Mathieu Darche announced today that Patrick Roy has been relieved of his coaching responsibilities. DeBoer has been named Head Coach, and the terms of the deal are still pending announcement.

Roy was fired with two more years left on his contract.

DeBoer, 57, joins the Islanders after three successful seasons with the Dallas Stars, where he posted a 149-68-29 record and reached the Western Conference Final each year. He brings 17 seasons of NHL head coaching experience, ranking among the league’s all-time leaders in wins and games coached. DeBoer has guided four franchises to the playoffs and reached two Stanley Cup Finals. He also owns a strong international résumé with Team Canada and a decorated junior coaching career.

DeBoer was a candidate for several possible coaching openings. With offseason changes coming, it appears the Islanders wanted to get ahead of things and ensure he wasn’t on the market when the vacancies all officially opened up.

More to come…