Islanders Fire Coach Patrick Roy, Hire Pete DeBoer

Coaching change comes with four games left in the regular season

Apr. 5, 2026 at 5:53pm

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The New York Islanders have made a surprising coaching change, firing head coach Patrick Roy and replacing him with Pete DeBoer. The move comes with just four games remaining in the regular season, despite the Islanders being in third place in the Metropolitan Division with a 42-31-5 record and 89 points.

Why it matters

Coaching changes this late in the season are rare, especially for a team in playoff position. The Islanders' decision to part ways with Roy, who was in his third season and having his best year yet, suggests the team's leadership felt changes were needed to ensure a strong postseason push.

The details

The Islanders have been in a four-game losing streak and had a rough end to March, leading GM Mathieu Darche and the team's brass to make the change. DeBoer, who was recently let go by the Dallas Stars, is an experienced NHL head coach with a history of leading teams to the conference finals.

  • The Islanders fired Patrick Roy on Easter Sunday, with four games remaining in the regular season.
  • DeBoer was hired as the new Islanders head coach immediately following Roy's dismissal.

The players

Patrick Roy

The former Islanders head coach, who was in his third season with the team and had been having his best year yet, leading the Islanders to a 42-31-5 record and 89 points.

Pete DeBoer

The new Islanders head coach, who was recently let go by the Dallas Stars. DeBoer is an experienced NHL head coach with a history of leading teams to the conference finals.

Mathieu Darche

The Islanders' general manager, who made the decision to fire Patrick Roy and hire Pete DeBoer.

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What they’re saying

“The move was not a 'rest-of-season' hire.”

— Elliotte Friedman, Sportsnet reporter

What’s next

The Islanders will look to rebound under new head coach Pete DeBoer as they push for a playoff spot with just four games remaining in the regular season.

The takeaway

Coaching changes this late in the season are highly unusual, especially for a team in playoff position. The Islanders' decision to part ways with Patrick Roy suggests the team's leadership felt significant changes were needed to ensure a strong postseason push.