Roland Melanson
A stalwart goaltender who backstopped the New York Islanders' dynasty before shaping a generation of NHL netminders as a pioneering coach.
Born 1960 (age 66)·Canadian ice hockey player and coach·Birthday: June 28·Baby Boomers
Biography
Roland Melanson arrived in the NHL as a key component of a hockey machine operating at its peak. Joining the New York Islanders in the early 1980s, he shared the net with Billy Smith, forming a formidable tandem for a team in the midst of capturing four consecutive Stanley Cups. Melanson, known as 'Rollie the Goalie,' brought a calm, positional style that contrasted with Smith's famed aggressiveness, providing stability and winning the William M. Jennings Trophy for lowest goals-against average. His playing journey took him across the league, with stops in Minnesota, Los Angeles, New Jersey, and Montreal, where he adapted his game and absorbed different hockey philosophies. This extensive experience became the foundation for his second act. Transitioning to a goaltending coach, Melanson became a sought-after architect of technique and confidence. His most notable work came with the Vancouver Canucks, where he oversaw the development and peak years of Roberto Luongo, helping refine him into an Olympic gold medalist and one of the era's most consistent performers. Melanson's career embodies the evolution of the goaltending position, from a championship-winning player to a modern specialist whose teachings have left a lasting imprint on the craft.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Roland was born in 1960, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Roland Was Born
The biggest hits of 1960
#1 Movie
Swiss Family Robinson
Best Picture
The Apartment
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Roland's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1960Born
Kennedy-Nixon debates become first televised presidential debates
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,900Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Theme from A Summer Place" — Percy FaithBest Picture: The Apartment
1965Started school
US sends combat troops to Vietnam
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,600Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" — The Rolling StonesBest Picture: The Sound of Music
1973Became a teenager
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1976Could drive
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1978Could vote
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1981Turned 21
MTV launches; first Space Shuttle flight; AIDS identified
Gas: $1.31/galHome: $52,300Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Bette Davis Eyes" — Kim CarnesBest Picture: Chariots of Fire
1990Turned 30
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
2000Turned 40
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 50
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 60
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 66 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won three Stanley Cup championships as a goaltender with the New York Islanders (1981, 1982, 1983).
- Awarded the William M. Jennings Trophy in 1983 for allowing the fewest goals in the NHL (shared with Billy Smith).
- Served as the goaltending coach for the Vancouver Canucks for over a decade, mentoring All-Star Roberto Luongo.
- Played in 285 regular-season NHL games over 12 seasons, posting a career .881 save percentage (notable for the era).
Did You Know?
His nickname, 'Rollie the Goalie,' was given to him by Islanders teammate Butch Goring.
He was originally drafted by the Colorado Rockies, the franchise that later became the New Jersey Devils, a team he would later play for.
After his NHL coaching career, he returned to the New York Islanders organization as their director of goaltending.
“A goalie's job is to make the saves you're supposed to make.”
