Islanders Fire Roy, Hire DeBoer

0:00On April 6th, the New York Islanders just made waves with a massive coaching switch right before the playoffs. On Sunday, April 5th, 2026, General Manager Matthew Darsche fired head coach Patrick Roy with only four regular season games. Remaining, they brought in Peter DeBore on a multi-year contract through the 29-30 season to turn things around. The team is stumbling hard, dropping four straight and seven of their last ten, but they're still fourth in the Metropolitan Division at 42. Wins, 31 losses, and five overtime losses for 89 points. They're clinging to that Eastern Conference playoff spot, and management is banking on DeBore's perfect 9-0 record in game seven showdowns to spark a fire. Fans and analysts are buzzing about the timing. It's a high-stakes gamble when every point counts. The Islanders have battled inconsistency all year, and this shakeup hits as they're on the playoff bubble, needing wins to lock in a postseason birth. Without relying on other team slip-ups, looking ahead, they've got a golden chance with three straight home games at UBS Arena against Atlantic Division Fows.

1:09That kicks off Thursday, April 9th, versus the Toronto Maple Leafs at 6.45pm Eastern, then Saturday, April 11th against the Ottawa. The Senators at 1pm, and wraps Sunday, April 12th, with the Montreal Canadians at 6pm. These matchups could make or break their season, so DeBore's fresh voice better rally the squad fast before the final whistle on the regular year. Team coverage, powered by AI, this is NHL News, today.