Put Your AD here!

Anthony Duclair reunited with former coach Patrick Roy on Islanders

Anthony Duclair reunited with former coach Patrick Roy on Islanders


This article was originally published on NY Post - Sports. You can read the original article HERE

When Anthony Duclair was a 15-year-old in Pointe-Claire, Quebec, he thought his path lay through college — and he held no bones about telling interested teams in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League just that.

Patrick Roy, then the coach and general manager of the Quebec Remparts, wasn’t so easy to blow off.

“Pat still decided to draft me,” Duclair said Monday at the Islanders charity golf outing. “It’s tough to say no to Patrick Roy as a 15-year-old kid trying to make the NHL.”

Anthony Duclair (center) is checked by Ryan Pulock into goalie Ilya Sorokin in December 2023. The three will be teammates this upcoming season. Robert Sabo

Duclair ended up playing for the Remparts.

And, evidently, it was just as tough for him to say no to Roy as a 29-year-old NHL veteran, as Roy was instrumental in convincing Duclair to sign a four-year deal as a free agent this summer.

Duclair arrived on Long Island for his first training camp with the team a couple of weeks ago and has been taking part in veterans’ skates with the team since then.

When training camp opens on Thursday, Roy said the plan is to have Duclair join Mathew Barzal and Bo Horvat on the top line — a reunion of sorts for Duclair and Horvat, who were roommates as 17-year-olds for Team Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup.

Islanders coach Patrick Roy drafted a 15-year-old Anthony Duclair to the Quebec Remparts, and the two will be reunited on Long Island this season. Corey Sipkin

“I know Bo really well, just crossing paths with him when he was at Vancouver, playing against him, obviously a real solid 200-foot player,” Duclair said. “A guy you can rely on in any situation. Just another guy I’m really excited to play with and learn from.”

As for Barzal?

“Superstar in this league. Has been since he entered,” Duclair said. “Just obviously playing against him, seeing what he does, night in, night out, how much passion he has, just the compete level, too. A lot of those superstar players really love to compete and he’s one of those guys.”

Adding a scoring winger to play alongside the pair of stars was the priority for the Islanders in the offseason.

Duclair, who scored 24 and 31 goals in his last two fully healthy seasons and brings speed that can keep up with Barzal, should fit the bill.

Duclair has also played both special teams in his career, making him an option after the penalty kill and power play both struggled for the Isles last season.

“Even just seeing him the last two weeks, he can fly up the ice,” Barzal said. “Off transition and fast breaks, definitely with that speed we could be dangerous. I’m excited to see where it goes. … Anyone that gets to play with him is gonna be lucky.”

This article was originally published by NY Post - Sports. We only curate news from sources that align with the core values of our intended conservative audience. If you like the news you read here we encourage you to utilize the original sources for even more great news and opinions you can trust!

Read Original Article HERE



YubNub Promo
Header Banner

Comments

  Contact Us
  • Postal Service
    YubNub Digital Media
    361 Patricia Drive
    New Smyrna Beach, FL 32168
  • E-mail
    admin@yubnub.digital
  Follow Us
  About

YubNub! It Means FREEDOM! The Freedom To Experience Your Daily News Intake Without All The Liberal Dribble And Leftist Lunacy!.


Our mission is to provide a healthy and uncensored news environment for conservative audiences that appreciate real, unfiltered news reporting. Our admin team has handpicked only the most reputable and reliable conservative sources that align with our core values.