Islanders fire Patrick Roy, hire Peter DeBoer as head coach
The New York Times • • sports
Key Points:
- The New York Islanders fired head coach Patrick Roy after a disappointing stretch and hired Peter DeBoer, who previously coached the Dallas Stars, as their new head coach with four games left in the 2025-26 season.
- Roy had a 97-78-22 record with the Islanders but struggled recently, with the team losing four consecutive games and posting a .500 point percentage since the Olympic break, putting their playoff chances at risk.
- DeBoer brings extensive experience with a 662-447-152 career record and has led teams to multiple Western Conference finals but is still pursuing his first Stanley Cup championship.
- The coaching change was made by new GM Mathieu Darche, marking DeBoer as his first coaching hire, and aims to stop the team's recent defensive struggles and poor performance to boost playoff prospects.
- The Islanders have struggled defensively, allowing the fifth-worst expected goals against rate over the past 18 games, placing heavy pressure on goaltender Ilya Sorokin, and the coaching change seeks to re-energize the team and improve defensive play heading into the postseason.
