NY Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello confirms he and Patrick Roy aren't going anywhere

New York Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello joked that the media wouldn't have anything to write about after he opened up his Friday media availability by confirming that both he and head coach Patrick Roy would be back next season. It'll be the first full season for Roy as head coach and the seventh for Lamoriello as President of Hockey Operations and GM of the team.

Unlike last year when Lamoriello remained silent and allowed for speculation to be written and said about his status, he determined it was best this year that those rumors be put to rest right away and tell everyone from the start of the off-season that he will remain the man in charge.

Both Lamoriello and Roy provided an opportunistic tone, proud and impressed with the way the team rallied down the stretch of the season to make the postseason. "The way we ended the season and the type of stretch that we really had to do to get in the playoff was just incredible," said Lamoriello. "I believe that's the starting point to next season."

Without knowing what changes are possible to the roster, the two are banking on a full off-season and training camp to best prepare the team to play Roy's style and apply what he's preaching with more consistency than what was able to take hold during the season.

Lamoriello acknowledged that he put Roy in a tough spot, handing him the reigns after mid-season knowing the significant changes in the style of play that was required to turn the team's play around. It's for that reason, and others that the GM and head coach are enthusiastic about what the team can do next year with more time to embed Roy in the day-to-day of the team. "There's a lot of positives coming from this season," added Roy. "The resilience the guys had, how we finished the year, the push we made to make the playoffs, and the way we played in the playoffs as well."

"I don't think he could've done any better than he did," Lamoriello said of Roy.

He thought his new head coach exceeded expectations, now the team will need to as well.