Islanders fire Roy, shock NHL with replacement

The writing was on the wall for Patrick Roy in Long Island. With the Isles riding a four-game slide and going 3-7-0 in their last 10, it was time.

The club interrupted Easter programming to announce that Patrick Roy had been fired. The move wasn’t much of a surprise to Islanders fans. The optics had been bad for Roy. The chatter among fans was that Roy had lost the room, hence the late skid.

In fact, it’s actually a surprise that the Islanders haven’t dropped out of a playoff spot. The Columbus Blue Jackets are cold all of a sudden, while the Pittsburgh Penguins, Philadelphia Flyers, and Washington Capitals are kind of stuck in neutral.

What was even more surprising was Roy’s replacement. The club announced that Peter DeBoer would be taking over. As insider Elliotte Friedman noted, the move wasn’t a short-term fix. DeBoer is coming in for the long haul.

DeBoer will be taking over for the Isles’ next game on Thursday night at UBS Arena against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The Islanders have four games left in their season and little room to spare.

The Isles hold a one-point lead over the Flyers and Blue Jackets, and a two-point lead over the Capitals. Needless to say, another loss could mark the end of the Isles’ playoff hopes.

Why Islanders hiring DeBoer seems surprising

Peter DeBoer seems like an unlikely choice given how adamant he was about not returning to coaching just yet. Earlier this season, the 57-year-old was rumored to be in the Toronto Maple Leafs' sights. However, DeBoer publicly denied any interest in the job.

The former Dallas Stars’ bench boss served as an assistant on Jon Cooper’s staff for Team Canada’s Olympic team.

Since then, DeBoer has kind of been out of sight. Well, now we know what he’s been up to. It seems the only thing holding the Islanders back from firing Roy was securing a suitable replacement. Once DeBoer committed, it was curtains for Roy.

DeBoer is considered among the NHL’s top coaches. He ran into the Edmonton Oilers two years in a row in the Western Conference Final. Last season, his highly publicized rift with Stars’ goalie Jake Oettinger was the final straw in his demise.

In Long Island, DeBoer gets a clean slate and a talented squad. The club will look to rally around their new coach and embrace the following mission: Win and you’re in. All the Islanders have to do is win their share of games, and they’ll be heading back to the postseason after a one-year hiatus.