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NHL News: Another coaching change comes as Islanders swap Roy for DeBoer
Photo credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images
By Zach Laing
Apr 6, 2026, 17:00 EDTUpdated: Apr 6, 2026, 17:20 EDT
A week after the Vegas Golden Knights swapped coaches, firing Bruce Cassidy in favour of John Tortorella, the New York Islanders made a change of their own behind the bench.
Patrick Roy was let go by the Islanders on Sunday, hiring Pete DeBoer as his replacement for not just the remainder of this year, but for four more, too. The move came with just four regular-season games left in the regular season, as the Islanders — fighting for their playoff lines — have sputtered to 3-7 over their last 10 games.
Long Island marks DeBoer’s sixth stop as a head coach, having spent multiple seasons with the Florida Panthers, New Jersey Devils, San Jose Sharks, Golden Knights, and, most recently, the Dallas Stars. DeBoer has been out of work since last summer, after getting fired by the Stars following their second straight Western Conference Final loss to the Edmonton Oilers.
Roy, meanwhile, had spent each of the last three seasons with the Islanders, coaching them to a 97-78-22 record. He was hired partway through the 2023-24 season, coaching them to a 20-12-5 record and earning a playoff berth, only to fall in the first round of the playoffs to the Carolina Hurricanes.
“Guys like Pete DeBoer don’t stay off the market very long,” Darche said Monday, via Daily Faceoff. “It’s like grabbing the number one free agent on the market.
“I just felt it was time to move the group forward. It was time to make a change. It was a tough thing to do yesterday. But sometimes you have to make those decisions.”
O’Rourke seeks exceptional status
15-year-old Kade O’Rourke is the latest player to seek exceptional status in the Canadian Hockey League. Born Jan. 31, 2011, the 6’1, 174 lb. defenceman, Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis says O’Rourke is expected to be granted the status, making him the seventh player to do so, and the first since Michael Misa did in 2022.
Here’s some of what Ellis said about O’Rourke:
To get exceptional status, you need to basically dominate your age group. GTHL U-16 stats haven’t been published for the 2025-26 season, but O’Rourke ate minutes like few others did in U-16 AAA this season. He recently helped the Toronto Jr. Canadiens come second in the OHL Cup, registering 10 points in his first six games before ultimately falling flat in the final. O’Rourke scored the goal that lifted JRC to the final, beating Upper Canada College 3-2 in the semifinal.At 6-foot-1, O’Rourke is already a big dude for 15 years old. He’s not a bruiser, but he’s not afraid of anyone physically. He loves to pressure opponents into making mistakes, and he can play in just about any situation. O’Rourke is most dangerous on the power play, where he often puts his mobility and offensive zone awareness on display. He processes the game at such a high level for his age – some scouts think he’d already be one of the smarter defensemen in the OHL.
Zach Laing is Oilersnation’s managing editor, and The Nation Network’s news director. He also makes up one-half of the Daily Faceoff DFS Hockey Report. He can be followed on X at @zjlaing, or reached by email at zach.laing@bettercollective.com.
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