Patrick Roy’s number 33 jersey was retired on Saturday night by the Montreal Canadiens at the Bell Centre.
His indomitable will to win influenced a generation of goalies in Quebec, Canada with his butterfly style, and made him one of the all-time greatest goalies in NHL history.
The Hall of Fame goalie won two Stanley Cups with the Canadiens (in 1986 and 1993) and two more with the Colorado Avalanche (1996 and 2001). His number 33 jersey was also retired by the Colorado Avalanche in 2003.
“St. Patrick”, as he was known, received a lengthy standing ovation from the Bell Centre crowd who welcomed him back after his stormy exit from the Canadiens in 1995.
After being pulled by coach Mario Tremblay in the second period of a lopsided loss to the Detroit Red Wings, Roy told Canadiens owner Ronald Corey, who was sitting in the first row behind the players bench, that he had played his last game for Montreal. He was traded to the Avalanche shortly thereafter.
But all has since been forgiven and the Canadiens organization put together a touching ceremony to the player who had miraculously delivered Stanley Cups to a team whose glory days were behind it.
Roy addressed the Bell Centre crowd regarding his debut with the Canadiens in 1984. “I was still a teenager entering the doors of the NHL’s most prestigious shrine.
“You gave me your confidence…I had immense pride playing in front of you for you.
“I learned to win in Montreal.”
Roy became famous for his superstitions including talking to his goal posts. He was also famous for winking his eye from behind his goalie mask.
Three of Roy’s coaches with the Canadiens addressed the crowd as well. Roy’s first coach Jean Perron told the crowd, “He’s the king of goalies who talks to his goal posts. We want to give him a wink of the eye.
His indomitable will to win influenced a generation of goalies in Quebec, Canada with his butterfly style, and made him one of the all-time greatest goalies in NHL history.
The Hall of Fame goalie won two Stanley Cups with the Canadiens (in 1986 and 1993) and two more with the Colorado Avalanche (1996 and 2001). His number 33 jersey was also retired by the Colorado Avalanche in 2003.
“St. Patrick”, as he was known, received a lengthy standing ovation from the Bell Centre crowd who welcomed him back after his stormy exit from the Canadiens in 1995.
After being pulled by coach Mario Tremblay in the second period of a lopsided loss to the Detroit Red Wings, Roy told Canadiens owner Ronald Corey, who was sitting in the first row behind the players bench, that he had played his last game for Montreal. He was traded to the Avalanche shortly thereafter.
But all has since been forgiven and the Canadiens organization put together a touching ceremony to the player who had miraculously delivered Stanley Cups to a team whose glory days were behind it.
Roy addressed the Bell Centre crowd regarding his debut with the Canadiens in 1984. “I was still a teenager entering the doors of the NHL’s most prestigious shrine.
“You gave me your confidence…I had immense pride playing in front of you for you.
“I learned to win in Montreal.”
Roy became famous for his superstitions including talking to his goal posts. He was also famous for winking his eye from behind his goalie mask.
Three of Roy’s coaches with the Canadiens addressed the crowd as well. Roy’s first coach Jean Perron told the crowd, “He’s the king of goalies who talks to his goal posts. We want to give him a wink of the eye.
“Thank you for my Stanley Cup ring!”
Pat Burns talked about how Roy made his coaching record a little better over the years he was in Montreal and Jacques Demers talked about the 1993 Stanley Cup, “I became a better coach. Ten overtime games we won…”
Roy’s long-time friend Pierre Lacroix, president of the Avalanche, also spoke at the ceremony.
“I rarely ever met someone who lived life with so much intensity and determination concentrated in one person.”
He recounted a story of when Roy was in the hospital during the 1994 playoffs. Roy told Lacroix to get him out of the hospital as he had a game to win that night!
Hockey goalies are in a world of their own and Roy played every game like it was his last. He feared nobody and never backed down from a challenge. His strong will, competitive nature and great skill made him the winningest NHL goalie in history.
