Roy downplays spotlight in Montreal return: Should be about Islanders

Patrick Roy knows he's a popular figure in Montreal, but he wants all the attention to be on the New York Islanders when the Canadiens host his new team Thursday.

"We just don't want to have distractions. ... I don't want it to be about me," the Islanders head coach said after Wednesday's practice. "I want it to be about the Islanders. We're going there to win a hockey game. We're not going there to win for the coach, it's for our team."

Roy is even planning to forgo the team's morning skate in the city where the legendary goaltender won his first two Stanley Cup championships, as well as three Vezina Trophies and two Conn Smythes.

"They're going to ask questions about me, they're going to say this and that," Roy added. "I don't need this, and they don't need that. ... I want an Islanders game."

Though Roy is keeping a low profile, Thursday's game is still significant for Martin St. Louis, who's set to coach against his childhood idol for the first time.

"The amount of times I was Patrick Roy in the street playing goalie," the Canadiens bench boss said, per Sportsnet. "We all admire him and idolize him. He meant a lot to me, the rest of the kids growing up here, he was kind of the backbone of the franchise for a long time."

The Islanders hired the Hall of Famer to be their new head coach Saturday to replace the fired Lane Lambert. New York beat the Dallas Stars 3-2 in overtime during Roy's debut but dropped its next game 3-2 against the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday.

Roy outlined what he wants to see from the Islanders in game No. 3.

"The next step for me is the mindset," he said. "The structure is the first step, and I think the players are buying into the structure, and I think we're getting better and better. But the next step is the mindset: How do we approach the first game after a win? How do we approach the first game after a loss?"

The Islanders return home Saturday against the Florida Panthers before taking to the road again Monday versus the Toronto Maple Leafs. They'll then have a four-game homestand. Roy said he's looking forward to sitting with his players one-on-one to get to know them better once the dust settles.

New York currently sits in fifth place in the Metropolitan Division with a 20-16-11 record.