Friday, 24 May 2013

Patrick Roy accepts Avalanche job in principle

The Colorado Avalanche announced Thursday that Patrick Roy has reached an agreement in principle to be the team's new coach and vice president of hockey operations.


"This is a very exciting day for our fans and a significant moment in our organization's history," Avalanche president Josh Kroenke said in a statement issued by the team. "Patrick's passion for the game of hockey both as a player and as a coach defines who he is as a person. He is a winner and is coming back to Denver where he created numerous special moments on and off the ice while helping lead us to two Stanley Cup championships."

Roy, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, spent eight of his 19 seasons as a player with the Avalanche, helping the team win the Stanley Cup twice. "This is an unbelievable day for me," he said. "It's a new and exciting challenge that I am really looking forward to. I would like to thank Stan and Josh Kroenke for this opportunity as well as Joe Sakic for the trust they are putting in me. Almost 10 years to the day that I announced my retirement as a player I am back in Denver and hope the fans are as excited as I am."

In his role, Roy will work with Sakic, hired recently as the team's executive vice president of hockey operations, on player personnel decisions. "All along Patrick was our top candidate and we are thrilled that he has decided to accept this offer," Sakic said. "Patrick has a great hockey mind, is a tremendous coach and there is no one more passionate about this game. He will bring that winning attitude to our dressing room to help this young team grow."

Roy spent the past eight seasons as coach and general manager of the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, a team he co-owns. He guided the Remparts to a 348-196-0 record (.640) in 544 regular-season games, and led the team to the 2006 Memorial Cup.

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