Patrick Roy obviously wants to surround himself with at least one assistant he knows well: Benoît Desrosiers. However, its status remains uncertain.
Monday morning, RDS colleague Stéphane Leroux announced on
The information was even relayed by the commissioner of the QMJHL, Mario Cecchini, who congratulated Desrosiers, “another from the QMJHL who will be “at the top”. We are happy with that. »
Contacted by The Press to confirm the information, the Islanders responded by email that Benoît Desrosiers “was not hired by the Islanders. However, president and general manager Lou Lamoriello plans to meet Desrosiers in the future. »
The Gatineau Olympics wrote that there was “nothing confirmed”. According to colleague Leroux, it is Serge Beausoleil, currently CEO of the Olympics, who would go behind the bench to replace Desrosiers.
In a press briefing on Saturday, Lamoriello indicated that it was “the status quo for the moment” within the coaching staff. On Sunday, Roy was flanked behind the bench by Doug Houda and John MacLean, who have been assistants since last season.
Desrosiers, 35, was Roy’s assistant from 2018 to 2023 in Quebec.
His hiring by the Islanders would be in line with what Roy did with the Avalanche. He had indeed drawn from the QMJHL to compose his coaching staff by hiring André Tourigny and Mario Duhamel, while retaining the services of Tim Army, who already worked for the Avalanche.