Roy, Islanders Skip Montréal Morning Skate; Approach Is Team-First

No morning skate for the Islanders in Montreal, and here's why.

MONTREAL -- New York Islanders head coach Patrick Roy spent 12 years as a member of the Montreal Canadiens, winning two Stanley Cups along with a Conn Smythe Trophy. 

Despite a rocky ending to his time in Montreal, Roy was a fan favorite and was immortalized by the franchise when his No. 33 was raised to the rafters on Oct. 28, 2008, after calling it a career.

As head coach of the Colorado Avalanche (2013-2016), Roy made the trip to the Bell Centre three times and will make his fourth trip back as a coach when the New York Islanders battle the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night at 7 PM.

Roy is well aware that with him back coaching in the NHL, the media frenzy would be overwhelming, not just for him but his players.

That's why he decided to hold a practice Wednesday morning on Long Island and forfeit his morning ice time on Thursday. 

"We just don’t want to have distractions. No morning skate in Montreal,” Roy said. “The guys are going to stay at the hotel, and they’re going to be focused. I don’t want this to be about me. I want this to be about the Islanders. We’re going there to win a hockey game.”

The Montreal Canadiens have lost three straight, and the Islanders are working hard to collect some wins with two games left before the All-Star break. 

“We’re not going there to win for the coach. It’s for our team,” Roy said. “That’s the reason why I don’t want us to go to that morning skate. They’re going to ask questions about me. They are going to say this or that, and I don’t need this, and they don’t need that.

"So, I just want to make sure they could go to the rink, go to the hotel, get a good stretch in the morning, do the meetings that we have to do to prepare yourself for the game, but I want the Islanders game."

The Islanders are 1-1-0 under Roy, beating the Dallas Stars 3-2 in overtime on Sunday before falling 3-2 in regulation to the Vegas Golden Knights. 

Sitting just two points back of a wild-card spot, a matchup with the Canadiens should have the Islanders feeling strong about where they are before wrapping up their week on Saturday night against the Florida Panthers at UBS Arena. 

You can watch Rosner talk Islanders hockey on Hockey Night in New York with co-host Sean Cuthbert live Sunday nights at 8 PM ET during the season on Twitch, YouTube, Twitter & Facebook.