Home / NHL / Colorado Avalanche / Patrick Roy Resigns As Avalanche Head Coach

Patrick Roy Resigns As Avalanche Head Coach

In a surprise announcement, Colorado Avalanche head coach and vice president of hockey operations, Patrick Roy, proclaimed Thursday that he was resigning from the organization effective immediately.

Citing a lack of involvement with the organization, Roy had this to say on the matter:

“For the past three years, I have carried out my duties as head coach and vice president of hockey operations for the Colorado Avalanche with energy, passion, and determination.

I have thought long and hard over the course of the summer about how I might improve this team to give it the depth it needs and bring it to a higher level. To achieve this, the vision of the coach and VP-Hockey Operations needs to be perfectly aligned with that of the organization. He must also have a say in the decisions that impact the team’s performance. These conditions are not currently met.”

Roy is a four-time Stanley Cup champion as a player, winning two with the Montreal Canadiens and two with the Colorado Avalanche. A three-time Vezina trophy winner, and 11-time All-star, Roy finished his career in net with .904 save percentage and 2.77 goals against average.

As a coach, Roy took on a Colorado organization in 2013 that had been adrift without a playoff appearance in the three seasons before he took over. He immediately turned the team around, as the club collected 112 points en route to their first division title since 2003. He was awarded the Jack Adams Award for his efforts.

Despite entering the playoffs as heavy favorites, the Avs lost a nail-biter of a series to the Minnesota Wild in the first round.

The Avalanche’s success would not carry over, however, as the team immediately fell off a cliff. They would finish the next two seasons with 90 and 82 points respectively.

Roy is revered as a possession nutcase who isn’t afraid to gamble late in games. He was notorious for pulling his goalies when trailing with 5 or more minutes left in the game - A tactic that found early success, but irked many as the gimmick ran dry of its fortunes.

The timing of the decision leaves the Avalanche without a head coach just months before the season is expected to start.

“We appreciate all he has done for our organization and wish him the best of luck in the future,” chimed GM Joe Sakic. “We will begin the search for a new head coach immediately.”

Pickings should be slimmer than trick-or-treating the morning after Halloween to hire an outsider. All likeliness points to the organization promoting from within in the mean time. Assistants Tim Array and Dave Farrish are the early favorites, but newcomer Nolan Pratt, who is coming off of an AHL Calder Cup with the Springfield Falcons could sneak his way into the mix.

The (fan) speculation has already begun that the Montreal Canadiens will relieve head coach Michel Therrien in order to make a move for Roy. However, the dark horse favorite to secure his services will likely come from none other than Sin City, who will without a doubt look to put a prestigious name behind the bench who won’t be afraid to get creative in the franchise’s inaugural seasons.

Tyler Arnold

I am the founder, co-owner, and editor-in-chief of The Runner Sports. I've been an avid sports fan since I was a young boy and have turned that love into a profession. I will watch, comment, and break down anything I can get my hands on, from football to white water rafting in the Olympics. Your visit means a lot to me, so thank you for your readership.

Latest posts by Tyler Arnold (see all)