In honor of today’s holiday I thought rather than celebrating the patron saint of Ireland, I would praise a different St. Patrick that is dearer to my heart: Patrick Roy. St. Patrick has been inebriating Denver, minus the hangover, since he first came to the Mile High City in 1995. Whether it was his unbelievable saves, attempts to score on empty nets, or throwing punches at center ice, Patty has always been the zenith of Avalanche stardom.
After bidding adieu to Colorado in 2003, Roy has finally returned to our great city, but this time with his eyes on winning a Stanley Cup from behind the bench. He made quite the splash in his NHL coaching debut by clashing with Anaheim coach, Bruce Boudreau. A piece of plexiglass is all that separated Roy from decking Boudreau, who looks like a cross between Mikhail Gorbachev and a gluttonous gopher. Since that opening game, Roy has maintained his composure, but there is no mistaking Patty’s anger because his face turns into something resembling a cherry tomato.
In Roy’s short time as an NHL coach, he has already changed the game. Pre-Roy, it was normal for coaches to pull their goalie with a minute left in the game. Last season, Roy began pulling Varly with as many as 3 minutes left. A tactic that was shocking at first, but has proven productive and has since become the norm.
Whether he is between the pipes or behind the bench, Patrick Roy will always be Denver’s true St. Patrick. So rather than guzzle green beer and Guinness, which you probably did on Saturday anyways, enjoy these classic clips of our beloved Patrick.