Islanders coach Roy apologized to Duclair after learning he tore groin off bone
After a tumultuous season, one of the bigger names on the New York Islanders roster is ready for a fresh start.
When speaking to the media at the Islanders Children’s Foundation Golf and Tennis event, forward Anthony Duclair opened up about the aftermath of his departure from the team late in the 2024-25 campaign.
Duclair explained to the media that five games into the year, he tore his groin right off the bone. He wouldn’t return to the lineup until late December, which he even described as too soon.
“The timeline given to me was four to six weeks,” Duclair explained. It was a little tough when, you know, three and a half weeks and I didn’t have a groin… It was still not connected back to the bone. I just felt like I came back too early, came back skating too early…and just ended up playing too early and then hindered me the rest of the season, basically playing on one leg.”
Duclair’s play took a hit thanks to his ailment, which led to criticism from head coach Patrick Roy. Following a disappointing loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in early April, Roy stated that Duclair, “was God awful,” and that “he’s lucky to be in the lineup.” It led to Duclair being granted a leave of absence from the team. The Pointe-Claire, Que. native ended up scoring just seven goals and four assists for 11 points in 44 games.
He told reporters on Monday that Roy drove down to see him during the offseason to say he was sorry, and the two were able to hash out what transpired.
“[Roy] reached out over the summer. He drove down to Montreal, which I really appreciated. He apologized for his comments. I told him I didn’t need an apology. I just need him to know that I was playing hurt. He told me that he didn’t really know the extent of the injury. I think it was just miscommunication by everybody, myself included.”
As for his current status heading into the 2025-26 season, Duclair admitted that he didn’t have the best offseason, but he’s ready to go for training camp, which is set to begin next week.
“I didn’t have the summer that I’d like to have, to be honest. It was a little different. A lot of rehab, a lot of recovery and stuff like that. I’m getting to a point where I’m almost where I feel like I’m back to 100%. So, I am feeling better…still more work to do going through a training camp for sure.”
Duclair is heading into the second season of his four-year contract that he signed with the Islanders in July 2024. The deal carries a cap hit of $3.5 million with a no-trade clause through this season.