The Canadiens honored Patrick Roy ahead of puck drop.

MONTREAL -- Thursday night’s game between the New York Islanders and Montreal Canadiens had extra meaning for the visitors’ new head coach. 

Patrick Roy, now Islanders’ bench boss, returned to the city where he saw his NHL beginnings.

While Roy treated the matchup like any other game, fans of his former team never forgot his impact.

During the singing of the Canadian national anthem, the Canadiens showed a photo of Roy during his jersey retirement in 2008, as well as his banner hanging in the rafters of Bell Centre, sending the crowd in a loud ovation. The board then showed Roy on the bench, which furthered the crowd’s excitement.

Roy played goalie for 12 years with the Canadiens, earning 289 wins, two Stanley Cups, three Vezina Trophies, and four William Jennings Trophies.