Patrick Roy may not be done with the Islanders after all

That is what gives this story real life.
Roy got fired, but Emily Kaplan reported the door may still be open for him to remain with the organization in a scouting role.

Read that again.
Teams do not leave that kind of lane open unless they still believe the hockey brain has value.

Darche made that part easier to believe.
After the firing, he said Roy is a great person and coach and even called him a true friend.

That does not sound like a front office trying to slam the door.
It sounds like a team that wanted a different bench voice, not a full breakup.

Darche also said Roy had not lost the room.
That matters, because it shifts the story away from a locker-room revolt and toward a timing call from management.

The Islanders were 43-31-5 when Peter DeBoer won his debut, and that 5-3 win over Toronto snapped a 4-game slide.

That is why the scout angle hits so hard.
Roy may have lost the job, but not the organization's respect.

And if Roy really stays around in some form, it says Darche still sees him as useful in bigger hockey conversations.
That is not common after a coach gets dumped with only a few games left.

The Islanders also moved within 1 point of the Flyers for third in the Metropolitan after DeBoer's first win.
So the coaching switch did create the jolt Darche was chasing.

But Roy's shadow is still hanging over this team.
Not in a bitter way, but in a way that suggests his voice still carries weight inside that building.

That is what makes this different from a standard firing.
Patrick Roy may be out as coach, but Long Island might not be done with him yet.

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