Colorado Avalanche Alumni: Patrick Roy Moments

#1: Patrick Roy Comes to Colorado

While I was still a Pittsburgh Penguins fan, my then-boyfriend — a Boston Bruins fan — and I talked about what would get the legendary Patrick Roy out of Montreal. We universally agreed: nothing. He was untouchable.

We didn’t take into account his legendary pride.

Patrick Roy and Mario Tremblay had had an acrimonious relationship dating back to when Tremblay was still a player. In 1995, he became the head coach of the Montreal Canadiens. That means he was essentially Roy’s boss.

Tremblay tried to act tough with the future Hall of Famer and then superstar of the team. Legend has it that he even shot a puck at Roy’s throat during practice. However, nothing beats his actions during the game against the Detroit Red Wings on December 5, 1995.

Patrick Roy had an atypically bad night. He allowed a total of nine goals in 1 1/2 periods. Roy, already angry from an earlier encounter with Tremblay, became more and more furious when the coach refused to pull him.

Finally, partway through the second period, Tremblay motioned for Patrick Roy to come off the ice. Roy walked stiffly by him and hissed at the Canadien’s president, Ronald Corey, that that had been his last game in Montreal.

The Montreal Canadiens then got a terminal case of the stupids and traded Patrick Roy to the Colorado Avalanche for a song.

It may seem odd to make this bittersweet moment my #1 favorite in Patrick Roy’s history. A part of me acknowledges he probably should have always been a Canadien.

However, that end in Montreal was a beginning here in Colorado. We already had a solid team — the addition of Patrick Roy made it stellar. Without Patrick Roy, we wouldn’t have had those glory days of the 1990s and early 2000s. We definitely wouldn’t have had that first Stanley Cup, and maybe not the second.

We might not even have Patrick Roy as our head coach right now if not for that end in Montreal.

So, even though it was a bitter ending for the Montreal Canadiens, bringing Patrick Roy to the Colorado Avalanche was a sweet beginning. Because of everything he has meant to this team, that moment is my favorite Patrick Roy memory.

Next: Patrick Roy in Goal Again

What about you, Avs Nation? What are your favorite moments from Patrick Roy’s time as a Colorado Avalanche goalie?