“Privilege coaching those guys” – Patrick Roy roots for Colorado Avalanche in Stanley Cup Final against Lightning
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Patrick Roy
Former goalie Patrick Roy is cheering for the Colorado Avalanche in the Stanley Cup Final from his Quebec City home 2,000 miles from Ball Arena, Denver. The Avalanche are scheduled to lock horns with the Tampa Bay Lightning in the best-of-7 series starting on Wednesday.
The Canadian ice hockey player anchored Colorado’s two Stanley Cup championships — in 1996 and 2001. He also won a couple of championships with the Montreal Canadiens as well — as a rookie in 1986, and again in 1993.
“I am an Avalanche fan, seriously,” said Roy, the former Colorado goalie and coach, as quoted by NHL.com. “I have so much respect for ‘Landy’ (Landeskog) and Nate (MacKinnon).
“It was a privilege coaching those guys. Joe (Sakic, the Avalanche general manager) gave me the opportunity. I have so much respect for Joe. He’s been doing a very good job, building that team, putting it together.”
“MacKinnon and Makar are fun to watch”
Roy won the Conn Smythe Trophy voted as the most valuable player of the postseason in 1986, 1993 and 2001. As a result, he became the sole player to win the award three times. The ace goaltender retired following the 2002-03 National Hockey League (NHL) season, returning to Colorado a decade later to step behind the Avalanche bench as a coach and into the front office as vice-president of hockey operations.
“At the end of the day, they’re fun to watch, they’re good for the game,” Roy said of current Avs stars Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar. “They’re what our game needs, not just for the pro level but for the juniors as well. High tempo and playing that way, these guys are models for younger players. They’re certainly going to bring our game to another level and that’s what we need.”
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