Islanders fire Lambert, hire former Avs coach, goalie Roy
Patrick Roy is the new coach of the New York Islanders, hired Saturday in a stunning midseason change behind the bench that came with the firing of Lane Lambert.
President of hockey operations Lou Lamoriello announced the move to dismiss Lambert and bring in Roy, who hasn’t coached in the NHL in nearly a decade. Roy has been mentioned in consideration for several vacancies since and now gets a second chance.
The Islanders have lost four games in a row and six of seven to fall out of a playoff spot. Lamoriello, 81, said he made the move because he still believes his team can contend and earn a spot in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
Lambert was midway through his second season on the job. Roy coached the Colorado Avalanche for three seasons from 2013-16 before abruptly resigning a month before training camp.
Roy, 58, said that in his time away from the NHL, he has learned a lot about the value of coaching staffs working to help players improve.
The four-time Stanley Cup champion who is third on the career NHL wins list among goalies won the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year in 2013-14 after guiding the Avalanche to the playoffs in Nathan Mackinnon’s rookie season. He spent the past five seasons coaching and serving as GM for the junior Quebec Remparts.
Lambert, former Islanders coach Barry Trotz’s longtime right-hand man, got his first NHL head job when he was promoted from assistant in May 2022. He was on Trotz’s staff when they won the Cup with Washington in 2018.
Lambert is the fifth coach fired in the league this season after Edmonton’s Jay Woodcroft, Minnesota’s Dean Evason, St. Louis’ Craig Berube and Ottawa’s D.J. Smith.