When Dominique Ducharme was dismissed by the Montreal Canadiens on Feb 9, 2022 fans hoped to see their childhood idol step behind the Habs’ bench, but it wasn’t to be. Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes opted to hire Martin St-Louis and Patrick Roy had to keep biding his time.
After leaving the Colorado Avalanche coaching job with a few weeks left to go before the 2016-2017 season, because he felt he didn’t have enough input in player personnel decisions, Roy took a couple of seasons away from hockey. He then returned to coaching and GM duties in the QMJHL with the Quebec Remparts. After winning his second Memorial Cup in June 2023, he resigned from his duties making it clear he was hoping for an NHL role.
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Seven months later, New York Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello came calling and offered him the head coaching role with the Isles. Roy was able to right the ship in New York and guide his team to the playoffs, but couldn’t get them past the first round. In his season post-mortem, when asked which changes could be made, the grizzled GM said:
We’ll talk about it. We’ll talk about it together. We spend a lot of time together. We’ll come up with whatever is best but we’re excited.
This Summer, the Islanders signed UFA Anthony Duclair to a four-year deal worth $14M and it wasn’t Lamoriello who recruited the forward, it was Roy. Seems like he has found a spot where he does have input in player personnel decisions.
Speaking to French TV station RDS, Duclair mentioned he was looking forward to playing for Roy again. The forward played his junior hockey with Roy’s Remparts and said he gets along well with his “new” coach and that, even though it’s been a long time, he knows exactly what the bench boss expects from him and the team.
RDS interviewed Duclair at the Duclair (Bokondji) Imama hockey camp, an endeavour which is precious to both NHL players and welcomes clsoe to 60 BIPOC athletes aged from seven to 15.
This Summer camp is not the only initiative in town helping to grow diversity in hockey. During the regular season, the organization Jusqu’Au Bourg teaches kids who are first or second generation immigrants how to play hockey. Founder Alexandria Aubourg said wherever immigrants go in town, they find themselves being the minority, but not in her program. There, they are free to learn without being judged as everyone has got about the same skill level.
In New York, Duclair intends to leave 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 foster diversity in hockey south of the border. It looks like Roy not only got himself a good player, but also a good role model for plenty of aspiring young players.
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