MONTREAL — Patrick Roy was still walking down the hallway when camera shutters started clicking.
They kept going as he climbed the ramp Thursday afternoon and sat in front of a crowd of reporters.
Less than a week after becoming the Islanders' head coach, Roy could have been the president.
His reception here in Montreal, where the Islanders played the Canadians on Thursday in a building flanked by a mural of the coach hoisting the Stanley Cup, has been more universally positive than any politician could hope for. It was something.
As he said Wednesday, Roy's reaction to all of this was to try to dim the spotlight — desperately, and no doubt in vain.
His message to the faithful in Montreal?
“I'm sorry. I just want to focus on our game,” he said before the Islanders lost 4-3 to his old team. “I think everyone in Montreal knows how much I love them and how much I respect this organization. But at the same time, we're here to win hockey games. .”
What does the city mean to him?
“You may not like my answer,” he said. “Today is not about me. It's about our team. This is a four-point game and we have to focus here and that's what I told the players.”
There was no message here that would sway Roy's feelings.
No matter how many No. 33 sweaters he saw in the stands or the reception he received from the fans who watched him lead the Canadiens to two Stanley Cups, he was determined to do everything he could to avoid becoming a sideshow.
Of course, due to the nature of the situation, that was not possible.
It seems like every character in this city has a story about Roy – seeing him, meeting him, hearing their parents talking about him.
That includes Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis, who on Wednesday recalled scoring a goal from Roy as a 12-year-old during a pee-wee tournament.
“I think there was a Humpty Dumpty practice every year where fans would come and watch the Canadiens practice. And my team would go on the ice and everyone would break off and try to have a shootout with Patrick,” St. Louis said. he told reporters. “Patrick poke-checked me and made it easy for us, but I turned him over and scored.”
St. Louis also played against Roy in the NHL and is now counted among his coaching contemporaries. But once you're an idol, you'll always be an idol.
“While I was a goalie on the streets as Patrick Roy, we all admired and looked up to him,” St. Louis said. “And he was very important to me. For the rest of the kids who grew up here, he was kind of the main figure of the French players for a long time.”
Yes, the idea that Roy could turn this into a regular regular season game between the Islanders and Canadiens is fanciful.
At 58, he's lived long enough to understand that. So does his team.
“It's going to be a very warm welcome for him to come back to Montreal,” said Bo Horvat. “I'm sure the guys will be waiting for him when he gets to the hotel. Obviously, this is a great night for him. Get these games, these moments, we're here for Patrick. We'll do it, it'll be more special. We've got to find a way to get it done.”
But Roy felt it was simply a matter of respect, trying your best to do more than you were.
“It's about our team. I love them and like I said to them, I was very happy with how accepting they were,” Roy said. “They deserve my respect. We talked a lot. We talked about our structure and our mindset, and they bought into what I was trying to do. My respect is very important to them.”
