When New York Islanders general manager Mathieu Darche announced that he was retaining head coach Patrick Roy, he also shared who would not be back with the club for the 2025-26 season.
Assistant coaches Tommy Albelin and John MacLean, along with the entire Bridgeport Islanders' coaching staff, would not be back.
Islanders GM Mathieu Darche Keeping Patrick Roy; Moving On From Albelin, MacLean & Bridgeport Staff
<a href="http://thn.com/isles">New York Islanders</a> general manager <a href="https://www.theelmonters.com/p/mathieu-darche-new-york-islanders-howard-dolgon-tampa-bay-lightning-syracuse-crunch">Mathieu Darche</a> announced on Thursday that he has elected to retain Patrick Roy as the club's head coach.
The Hockey News confirmed that Islanders assistant coach Benoit Desrosiers was being retained — he was the only member of the coaching staff that Roy brought in — but what about the goaltender coaches that Lou Lamoriello had brought to the organization?
Piero Greco came to the Islanders with Lamoriello from the Toronto Maple Leafs ahead of the 2018-19 season. The now 57-year-old has accomplished tremendous work during his time on Long Island.
When Barry Trotz came in after winning a Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals, he brought over his Director of Goaltending, Mitch Korn, who has since followed him to the Nashville Predators.
While Korn gets credit -- deservingly so -- Greco was and is the one working with the NHL goalies on a day-to-day basis.
I remember we were up in Buffalo, and I asked Roy how he decides on who gets what starts and how that schedule all works out.
"I don't really interfere in the teaching of goaltenders," Roy said. "There's one voice, and it's our goalie coach (Greco)."
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So, there's no reason to think Roy or Darche will be moving on from Greco, who is under contract.
Bridgeport Islanders goalie coach and Ilya Sorokin's former CSKA Moscow goalie coach Sergei Naumovs was brought in ahead of the 2024-25 season. He is still under contract as well.
He was seen at games late in the NHL season, but never took the ice for practice.
Bridgeport struggled in goal last season -- the team in front of the goalies was particularly poor -- but there's no question that the Islanders need to see Henrik Tikkanen and Tristan Lennox take strides.
It's worth noting that Russian goalie prospect Dmitry Gamzin (2024, Rd 4, No. 115) is likely to come over following the 2026-27 season. He plays for CSKA Moscow.
We are still awaiting announcements regarding the future of assistant general managers Stephen Pellegrini and Chris Lamoriello, who signed multi-year extensions during the past season, as well as the personnel joining Desrosiers on Roy's staff.
We'll also have to see if Chris Terreri, Director of Goaltending, remains with the organization in some capacity. Lamoriello elevated him after Korn left.
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