DENVER — When Patrick Roy took to the ice at Ball Arena on Monday morning, he gave himself a moment to look up and take in the sight.
His number 33 banner was still there. The same goes for the banner commemorating the victory. Roy helped the Avalanche win championships in 1996 and 2001, winning the 2001 Stanley Cup and the Conn Smythe Trophy. At that time, Colorado overcame a 3-2 deficit by allowing just one goal in Games 6 and 7 combined. To defeat the Devils.
“I'll always have Abs in my heart,” Roy said before the Islanders completed a memorable 6-2 comeback victory. “Same thing with the Montreal Canadiens and the Avs.
“…I texted Joe. [Sakic] Immediately after [Colorado won the 2022 Stanley Cup] Just to tell him how proud I was to see them win the Stanley Cup. To be able to play here for so many years and have that connection with the fans and have the opportunity to wear that jersey every night is something we're very proud of. I am also proud to see my team and organization in action. It's very good. ”
After infamously requesting a trade from Montreal midway through a game, Roy arrived in Colorado in the middle of the 1995-96 season under rough circumstances and spent the rest of his career with the team that was once the Canadiens' biggest rival. Spent building a legacy.
The first year he coached them, 2013-14, felt like a successful homecoming for everyone as the Avalanche had a great run and Roy won the Jack Adams Award given to the league's best coach. Ta. Two years later, he abruptly resigned a month before camp, citing disagreements with general manager Sakic.
Eight years later, it's still a sliding door moment for the Avalanche. Jared Bednar, the coach he hired to replace Roy, is still here and joked that he owed Roy a hug and a steak on Monday. Some of the star players Roy helped develop, including Nathan MacKinnon (who he pushed for the team's draft picks) and Gabriel Landeskog, were key parts of the 2023 title run.
Roy said Monday's focus was still on the Islanders, a contrast to last February when he returned to Montreal and declined to answer question after question about returning to the Bell Center.
But unlike in Montreal, Roy seemed a little emotional after the Canadians praised him before the game, but when the Avalanche put him on the video board during the first television timeout. Even though there was no tribute video, Roy didn't notice. accompaniment.
“We were focused on our game,” he said. “I came here to win hockey games.”
Matt Barzal's empty net goal means he scored against all 31 other teams (counting Arizona and Utah as one franchise).
