Islanders fire Patrick Roy as head coach with four games left in playoff race
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The New York Islanders fired head coach Patrick Roy despite being in a tight playoff race.
Islanders GM Mathieu Darche announced that Roy will be replaced by Peter DeBoer, who was fired by the Dallas Stars in June 2025.
The move comes with just four games remaining in the regular season for the Islanders, who were on a four-game losing streak entering Sunday. And this streak came with seven defeats in the last 10 matches.
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New York Islanders head coach Patrick Roy serves on the bench during the first period against the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Center in Montreal, Quebec on March 21, 2026. (Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
As the NHL standings head into Sunday, the Islanders, once comfortably within reach of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, sit third in the Metropolitan league with 89 points, which would give them a spot if the season ended today.
However, the Philadelphia Flyers (88 points) and Columbus Blue Jackets (88) are pushing for a third and final place in the league in the few remaining games. As a result, the Islanders are making a surprise switch in hopes that DeBoer can lead them into the playoffs next week.
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Roy’s departure follows a 40-16 loss to New York in which the Carolina Hurricanes, who are currently in the playoffs, lost 4-3.
The Islanders aren’t the only NHL team to make a change at its head coach just days before the end of the regular season. The Vegas Golden Knights relieved Bruce Cassidy of his duties and hired veteran coach John Tortorella on an interim basis last week.
Patrick Roy coaches the New York Islanders during a game against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center on February 5, 2026 in Newark, NJ. (Rich Graessle/NHLI)
Like the Islanders, the Golden Knights sit third and last in their division (86), but the race is a little easier for Vegas with a five-point lead over the Los Angeles Kings.
But while Tortorella is a temporary move for Vegas, the Islanders are keeping DeBoer intact for the 2026-27 season.
DeBoer has been the head coach of five different teams during his extensive coaching career. He has a career record of 662-447-152 in 1,261 games with the Florida Panthers, New Jersey Devils, San Jose Sharks, Golden Knights and Stars, which he led the last three seasons before he was fired.
Patrick Roy, head coach of the New York Islanders, looks on during a game against the Philadelphia Flyers at UBS Arena on April 3, 2026 in Elmont, NY. (Steven Ryan/NHLI)
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DeBoer hasn’t been on a team this season, but he’s stepping up for the opportunity to help turn the tide on Long Island as the Islanders hope to make the playoffs after missing the previous two seasons.
Although DeBoer is not coaching this season, he was on Jon Cooper’s Team Canada roster at the Milan Cortina Olympics earlier this year.
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