Patrick Roy is back in Montreal, but there's no question he's getting all the attention, but he got some and got a nice ovation.
Before the game began, Roy discreetly went to the Islanders bench and was politely greeted by the Montreal fans. The Canadian has a lot of class, the giant screen was completely dedicated to him during the Canadian national anthem and there the fans gave him the love he deserves. On the ice, Roy's men overcame a three-goal deficit but ultimately lost 4-3.
The new New York Islanders coach met with the press for about 15 minutes three hours before Thursday's game in a crowded press room where reporters sat wherever they could.
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He responded politely but succinctly, insisting that he was not the star of the day, even though his number hangs high above the Bell Center.
“My focus is much more on the game than anything else. I told the players that it's a game that doesn't affect me, but that it affects the whole team. We’re out of contention for a playoff spot and for us it’s a four-point game.”
emotions
The local media repeatedly tried to elicit an answer from him about the emotions he feels upon returning to the city where he experienced some of the best moments of his career, but Roy deftly deflected them all.
“I always tried to experience the emotions, but it never worked out well. I’m an intense person and I need to focus on what needs to be done.”
Roy believes Montreal fans are able to accommodate its remoteness.
“I think everyone in Montreal knows how much I love them and how much respect I have for this organization, but I want to focus on winning.”
Protected
The Islanders announced Wednesday that there would be no morning skate on Thursday morning. It was about protecting the players from the media hype, but Roy assures that this is not the main reason for this decision.
“We talked about the media, but not that much. Things happened so quickly. Friday I received the call from Lou [Lamoriello]I left Florida for Montreal, drove to New York on Saturday to meet with Lou in the late afternoon and met the other coaches.
“Sunday morning Lou met the players, we trained and played. We were able to train well for the first time on Wednesday and that's why we gave the players Thursday morning off. So everything found its place.”
He also hasn't had much time with his family since he had his first dinner with his coaching staff in town on Wednesday night.
“My children are very proud of their father,” he assures. I told my daughter to take care of the tickets and Lou was great about finding a box for them. I want to concentrate on the team and support the players.
Archive photo / Le Journal de Montréal
lightning
Since we're talking about Lamoriello, we get the impression that Roy really had a crush on the 81-year-old general manager.
“When I met him before I was hired, I was amazed by his passion and his way of thinking. He has such a great vision for our sport. I am grateful to have this opportunity and I don’t think I could have found a better person than Mr. Lamoriello,” said Roy.
The former goalie joked that the 2001 Stanley Cup was a taboo subject. He won with the Colorado Avalanche against the New Jersey Devils, of which Lamoriello was the GM at the time.
Roy praised the family aspect of the Islanders, a context that suits him well. He also claims to be surrounded by colleagues who would enable him to progress.
“I am very lucky because we have Jacques Lemaire. He and Lou are close, they are mentors. I think I will continue to grow as a coach and feel blessed to be able to continue her work of qualifying the team for the playoffs and creating excitement among our fans.