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Colorado Avalanche Decade in Review: 20 Memorable Moments

By Nadia Archuleta

DENVER, COLORADO - OCTOBER 30: Joonas Donskoi #72 of the Colorado Avalanche celebrates a goal against the Florida Panthers with his bench at the Pepsi Center on October 30, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. The Panthers defeated the Avalanche 4-3 in overtime. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images)
DENVER, COLORADO - OCTOBER 30: Joonas Donskoi #72 of the Colorado Avalanche celebrates a goal against the Florida Panthers with his bench at the Pepsi Center on October 30, 2019 in Denver, Colorado. The Panthers defeated the Avalanche 4-3 in overtime. (Photo by Michael Martin/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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DENVER, CO. – OCTOBER 02: Colorado head coach Patrick Roy encouraged his players in the first period. The Colorado Avalanche hosted the Anaheim Ducks at the Pepsi Center Wednesday night, October 2, 2013. Photo By Karl Gehring/The Denver Post via Getty Images /

8. Memorable Moment: Patrick Roy Overturns the Partition

If there is one moment that encapsulates what Patrick Roy’s tenure as coach was like, it was his regular season debut. It was his coaching the team to a 6-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks.

And it was the flare-up of his infamous temper at the end of the game.

With just seconds left in regulation, and with Colorado up 6-1, coach Roy sent out Patrick Bordeleau and Cody McLeod, two known heavyweights. It was a bold move, another trademark of Roy’s. And the Ducks didn’t like it. They started a scrum right in front of the Avalanche bench.

Ducks agitator Corey Perry started running his mouth, so coach Roy snapped at him. Anaheim coach Bruce Boudreau involved himself, and all hell broke loose:

This was the iconic moment of the entire season. With that fight, Roy secured his place as the player’s coach. He would have been far too intimidating a figure otherwise, and he knew that.

It also set the stage for a scrappy team fighting back every single game for the respect they felt they deserved. It really was such a golden season.

I was at that game, by the way. When the announcers announced the coach, the screams for him were louder than for any player.

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