EXCLUSIVE: Mathew Barzal On Patrick Roy’s Vision Finally Taking Shape On Long Island, Chemistry With Matthew Schaefer
Mathew Barzal details how the Islanders are thriving under Patrick Roy’s system, the team’s renewed identity, and his growing chemistry with rookie Matthew Schaefer.
When the New York Islanders hired Patrick Roy on Jan. 20, 2024, Mathew Barzal was ecstatic from the start, given the style in which the Hockey Hall of Famer wanted to play.
After a few practices and games in which Roy began to incorporate his schemes more and more, Barzal saw the vision.
“Just look at our game,” Barzal said seven days after the hire. “Wins and losses are one thing, but then, on a daily basis, we’re building a blueprint that is going to allow us to become champions.”
Flash forward over a year and a half, and the Islanders — after starting the season 0-3-0 — have synced up to play Roy’s system to a level we hadn’t seen before.
With Roy now having his own coaching staff and working for a general manager, Mathieu Darche, who fully aligns with his philosophy — something Lou Lamoriello did not, which delayed the “blueprint” timeline — you can see the transformation unfolding. There’s still work to be done, but this team has the talent — and has always had the buy-in — to win consistently in a fast, transition-based system.
I spoke with Barzal about how the Islanders are executing Roy’s vision, his chemistry with rookie Matthew Schaefer on the power play, and more: