Patrick Roy has been transparent from day one about who is going to be in goal, what lineup changes he's making, and why. He doesn't do it for the media or the odd makers. He does it for the fans.
When Patrick Roy met the media before his first game with the New York Islanders on Jan. 21, he was asked who he would play with between the pipes against the Dallas Stars.
With Barry Trotz's "a Russian" response or Lane Lambert's lack of response when asked about goaltending, the question to Roy was merely us just testing the waters.
Roy decided not to withhold information, sharing that Ilya Sorokin would start in goal.
And since that day, he's been transparent about not just who will be in goal but what lineup changes he's making and why.
For example, on Thursday morning, he'll go as far as to say that Semyon Varlamov is starting Saturday against the Winnipeg Jets and that Sorokin will play Sunday against the New Jersey Devils.
Why does he do this when so many coaches would never?
It's not for the media. It's not for the odd bettors.
It's for the fans.
"Our fans deserve that," Roy said Thursday morning after sharing his latest lineup decisions.
As consumers of NHL hockey, we have become accustomed to NHL head coaches keeping game information close to their vests in an effort to keep their opponents guessing.
And that's not to say that their secrecy is wrong because it's not.
Why give the opponent a leg up in preparation?
On the flip side, for example, with starting goalies, the opponent is doing scouting reports on both netminders, and the players are ready to go up against whichever.
Roy's doing what he can to build a new culture on Long Island and has already made strides with how much accountability he's brought to the players in the room.
He's always discussing the importance of the fans and encourages them to voice their displeasures when they are made and to cheer when they like what they're seeing.
Roy knows that without fans, there wouldn't be a National Hockey League and that fans' support is something that can propel teams, whether that's during a game or throughout an entire season.
With Lou Lamoriello as the general manager -- a strict fellow -- outgoing coaches haven't been what we've become accustomed to on Long Island.
But times are changing, and the hiring of the outspoken, fiery Roy showed that.
You may not like every move Roy makes with the lines or why a certain player isn't getting playing time in certain situations, but at least, at the end of the day, Roy will say why he made the choice he made.