EXCLUSIVE: Benoit Desrosiers’ Impact On Islanders Went Beyond Face-Off Success
Benoit Desrosiers leaves behind a strong legacy with the Islanders, from elite face-off success to player development and a respected voice in the locker room.
When Patrick Roy was relieved of his head coaching duties with four games to go, questions quickly arose about his coaching staff.
However, with the team still trying to claw back into a playoff spot, new head coach Pete DeBoer elected to retain Roy’s staff for the time being.
Once the season ended, though, change felt inevitable.
We got our first on Friday night, when the Islanders confirmed that Benoit Desrosiers had been relieved of his assistant coaching duties.
Desrosiers’ departure feels less about performance and more about DeBoer beginning to shape the staff in his own vision. Given how closely tied Desrosiers was to Roy — having worked under him with the Quebec Remparts — it always seemed unlikely he’d be a long-term holdover once Roy was let go.
But that doesn’t take away from the impact he had during his time on Long Island.