Isles coach Patrick Roy is “grateful” for his time in Colorado after his return

DENVER – New York Islanders coach Patrick Roy stepped onto the ice at Ball Arena and took a quick look at the rafters.

Yes, his familiar number 33 was still up there, along with all the other banners depicting the retired Colorado Avalanche numbers.

Returning to the city brought back memories for Roy of helping Colorado win two Stanley Cup titles as a goalie. It also left him reflecting on the bitter end when he suddenly resigned as Avalanche coach two months before the start of the 2016-17 NHL regular season.

“Lots of good memories,” Roy said Monday before New York beat Colorado 6-2, giving him a win in his first game against his former team as Islanders coach. “That’s how I want to see it.”

Roy has no regrets about how he handled the situation, even though it took him more than seven years to get another job as an NHL head coach. It only made him more grateful when he returned to the bench last January when he replaced Lane Lambert.

“I feel a lot better today than I did back then, I have more respect for the position, more appreciation for being back in the league,” said Roy, who went 20-12-5 and led the Islanders to the playoffs last season. “At the same time, things were going well for the Avs.”

Especially for Jared Bednar, who was hired as coach after Roy's departure. It was a tough first season under Bednar, as the Avalanche had a record of 22-56-4 in the 2016-17 season. Five years later, the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup.

“I probably owe him a big hug and a steak dinner,” Bednar said of Roy. “Everyone does what is right for them personally, but for me it just opened up a unique opportunity.”

After the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup in 2022, Roy texted his longtime teammate and Avalanche president Joe Sakic to tell him how proud he was.

“I was happy for her,” Roy said. “Playing here these years, the connection with the fans and the opportunity to wear this jersey night after night is something we are very proud of.”

Back in the Mile High City, Roy thought about Colorado general manager Pierre Lacroix, who died in 2020. Lacroix was once Roy's agent and, upon arriving in Denver, helped arrange a trade with Montreal that brought Roy to the city.

“He was the one who gave me my chance,” Roy said. “So of course I’ll always think about him.”

Roy won 551 games during his Hall of Fame goaltending career with Montreal and Colorado. He won three Vezina Trophies and was part of four Stanley Cup teams between the Canadiens (1986, 1993) and Avalanche (1996, 2001).

Roy, 59, was hired by Colorado as coach in 2013 to turn the team around. He took the Avalanche to the playoffs in his first season and with a rookie named Nathan MacKinnon. After two more seasons, Roy suddenly resigned. At the time, Sakic claimed that Roy's decision to leave the team was due to the team's lack of success.

“I used to take things for granted,” Roy explained Monday. “Sometimes it’s nice to put your ego aside and understand that it’s a privilege to coach in this league. Every day you have to work and try to learn new things. I think I have often done that better than back then.

He sees this as just another game. Same approach as last season against Montreal.

“I always have the Avs in my heart. The same goes for Montreal,” Roy said. “I had great memories from the 11 years I was with the (Avalanche) organization. I’m grateful for that.”

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.