Patrick Roy waxed poetic about the Islanders' dynasty in his first press conference as the team's head coach, then revealed his personal connection the next day.
Mike Bossy, a Montreal native, was Roy's neighbor when he played for the Canadiens, and one of his daughters babysat for the family.
“One day I went to a game and one of my sons stuck his head between the stair railings,” Roy recalled. “And his head was stuck in there.
“So Mike had to come. He cut it and opened it so my son's head could come out. But yes, I did. [know him]”
Bossy, who won four Stanley Cups with the Islanders, died in 2022 at the age of 65 after a battle with brain cancer.
“It's very sad what happened to him,” Roy said. “He was also very good at TVA.” [the French-Canadian television station for which Bossy worked]. He was a passionate person, loved the game and made his mark with the Islanders. I'm proud to be a part of this organization, the same organization as him. ”
Roy has made no secret of his admiration for the Islanders' history since his first day on the job, even talking about the 1993 team that helped the Canadiens win the conference finals and the Cup title on Sunday.
“I remember seeing [Game 7 against the Penguins] I saw it on TV and thought so [David] Volek who scored that goal [Tom] Barrasso and we all felt amazing,” Roy said. “[Coach] Al Arbor has done a great job with that franchise. He's probably the best coach in my mind that's ever coached in this organization.
“When you play them in the playoffs, we have good fans here. They care about the team, they love the team, they support the team. Some nights it's hard to play here. I'm looking forward to it.”
