Patrick Roy to retire

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Credit - ESPN.com

 

DENVER -- Colorado's Patrick Roy is retiring, ending the 18-year career of one of the greatest goaltenders in NHL history, a team source told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

 

Patrick Roy didn't leave with another Cup, but he will retire with the most NHL victories.

 

Roy will make the announcement at a 2 p.m. ET news conference on Wednesday, the source said on condition of anonymity.

 

A four-time Stanley Cup champion, Roy leaves as the NHL's career leader in victories with 551 and games played with 1,029. He also is the all-time leader in playoff victories, games played and shutouts.

 

Roy is still considered one of the best goalies in the game at age 37, but he has been bothered by arthritic hips the past few years. He also has made it clear he wants to follow the career of his oldest son, Jonathan, a goalie who will start playing in Quebec this fall.

 

"It's going to be sad for hockey,'' Anaheim goalie Jean-Sebastien Giguere said Tuesday. "He's a great goaltender, probably the best that's ever played.''

 

Roy won two Stanley Cups each with Montreal and Colorado, and is the only three-time winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy, awarded to the MVP of the playoffs. Earlier this season he became the first goalie to eclipse 60,000 minutes.

Before Roy broke into the league with Montreal in 1985, most goalies either stayed on their feet or stacked their pads to stop shots.

 

Glenn Hall and Tony Esposito, two goaltenders who starred in the 1960s and 1970s, helped develop the butterfly style of dropping to their knees to stop shots. Roy made the style popular during his record-setting career.

 

Roy is the NHL's all-time leader with 23 career playoff shutouts, and his 247 games and 151 wins are well ahead of Grant Fuhr, who is second with 150 games and 92 wins.

 

"He basically has done everything and broke every record, so I think it's pretty safe to say he's the greatest goalie who ever played,'' Colorado's Mike Keane said recently.

 

Roy had his best regular season in 2001-02, with a 1.94 goals-against average and a career-high nine shutouts, but the playoffs ended in disappointment after he allowed six goals in a 7-0 loss to Detroit in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals.

 

Roy struggled early this season, but was unbeaten in 26 of his final 30 starts. He helped the Avalanche move past Vancouver and win the Northwest Division title. He finished fourth in the league with 35 wins and had a 2.18 goals-against average.

 

Roy was solid in the first four games of Colorado's first-round playoff series against Minnesota, but gave up soft goals in Games 6 and 7 as the Wild became just the seventh team in league history to come back from a 3-1 deficit with two road wins.

 

Roy said at the time that he was 90 percent sure of his plans for the future, but did not reveal which way he was leaning. He appeared to be readying himself for retirement over the past year, when he bought a home in Lake Jupiter, Fla., and put his house in Denver up for sale.

 

Roy's retirement plans were first reported by the Daily Camera of Boulder on Tuesday.

 

"The day that I feel that I'm going to lose that desire and that passion, that would be a good time for me to leave,'' Roy said in January. "The tough part is that it could happen at any time. It could happen in the middle of the season, it could happen at the end of the season. And if it's time to go, it's time to go.''

 

Like so many kids in Quebec City, Quebec, Roy spent most Saturday nights watching hockey on television. He became a goalie because he liked the way the equipment looked and honed his game by stopping shots upstairs in his parents' house with pillows strapped to his legs.

 

Roy became so enthralled with the game that he slept every night with a stick given to him by his hero, Daniel Bouchard.

 

Roy had an immediate impact in the NHL, leading Montreal to the Stanley Cup title in 1986 as the youngest Conn Smythe winner at age 20. He played nine more seasons with the Canadiens, winning another Cup in 1993, but was traded to Colorado in 1995 shortly after coach Mario Tremblay left him too long in a lopsided loss.

 

It proved to be the best move the Avalanche ever made.

 

In Roy's nine seasons in Denver, Colorado won two Stanley Cup titles, reached the Western Conference finals six times and set an NHL record with nine straight division titles.

 

Colorado won its first Stanley Cup in 1996, when Roy had three shutouts and a 2.10 goals-against average and was named playoff MVP. The second came in 2001, when he had four shutouts and a 1.70 GAA

[Guest MaxPower27]

 

Will Roman go to Colorado?!?!

[Guest Vern Gagne]

2nd best goalie behind Jacque Plante.

[Guest DrTom]

I remember seeing him play for the AHL's Sherbrooke Canadiens around 1985. What a tremendous career he's had. Roy deserves all the accolades he receives.

[Guest Vern Gagne]

 

Will Roman go to Colorado?!?!

Colorado has a couple of promising young goalies. I think it's time to give one of them a chance.

[Guest Youth N Asia]

Kinda dicky of him to do this right at Stanley Cup Finals time...taking some of the hockey attention off the game and onto himself.

[Guest redbaron51]

one of the best goalies ever, and its sad to see him leave.

 

Now will Montreal retire his number?

[Guest Lightning Flik]

Kinda dicky of him to do this right at Stanley Cup Finals time...taking some of the hockey attention off the game and onto himself.

Sadly in recent chat with a local newspaper (so That's Hockey on TSN said, I might be slightly off in my info), Roy had said he would be retiring and thusly because he didn't want to have himself have reports hound him to declare that he really is retiring, he just admitted to it.

 

Still not the greatest time, but I don't blame him for not wanting to have people hound him for him to say the statement was true.

[Guest Youth N Asia]

The thing I'll remeber most about him is when the Red Wings lit up the Canadians 11-0...then Roy demands a trade, and his next game against the Wings (as an Av) he loses like 6 or 7 to 0.

[Guest kkktookmybabyaway]

Kinda dicky of him to do this right at Stanley Cup Finals time...taking some of the hockey attention off the game and onto himself.

It's not like anyone is noticing...

[Guest bob_barron]

one of the best goalies ever, and its sad to see him leave.

 

Now will Montreal retire his number?

They should- Do you think Roy would show up if offered though?

 

I remember reading the story about the whole trade from Montreal. The coach held a grudge against him and left him in the game and that ended up costing Montreal their goalie. Amazing.

[Guest Lightning Flik]

one of the best goalies ever, and its sad to see him leave.

 

Now will Montreal retire his number?

They should- Do you think Roy would show up if offered though?

 

I remember reading the story about the whole trade from Montreal. The coach held a grudge against him and left him in the game and that ended up costing Montreal their goalie. Amazing.

What was worse, is the Canadiens also gave away this goalie for nothing really.

[Guest redbaron51]

He would come to montreal, since none of the remaining workers are there.

 

and the trade was actually worth it.

 

Ruicensky, and Kovalenko is an excellent fit to the Montreal style and can prospect into great hockey style.

 

Thiabult is okay but with Moog as a goalie as well in the next year, Montreal should have developed him.

[Guest Choken One]

The Amazing thing...I had been pronouncing his last name wrong all these years...

 

 

I thought it was just ROY..like the name

 

not...Raoah.

[Guest MaxPower27]

Actually, it's more like Wah.

[Guest Vern Gagne]

one of the best goalies ever, and its sad to see him leave.

 

Now will Montreal retire his number?

They should- Do you think Roy would show up if offered though?

 

I remember reading the story about the whole trade from Montreal. The coach held a grudge against him and left him in the game and that ended up costing Montreal their goalie. Amazing.

Are any of the people who Roy had a falling out with Roy in Montreal, even with the franchise anymore?

[Guest CanadianChris]

one of the best goalies ever, and its sad to see him leave.

 

Now will Montreal retire his number?

They should- Do you think Roy would show up if offered though?

 

I remember reading the story about the whole trade from Montreal. The coach held a grudge against him and left him in the game and that ended up costing Montreal their goalie. Amazing.

Are any of the people who Roy had a falling out with Roy in Montreal, even with the franchise anymore?

No, I think everyone involved was fired/quit within three years. Tremblay may have been a very good player, but he'll go down as the worst coach in Canadiens history just for that one move.

[Guest MaxPower27]

Who will Colorado get to fill the void? I don't see Aebischer becoming a #1, regardless of how good he is. Colorado is a major team in the NHL, so they'll want a big player. That's why I think Cechmanek will end up there.

[Guest BANKYWOOD]

Martin Brodeur, when its all said and done, will be remembered as being better than Roy. Maybe the best ever. The guy is so bloody consistent. Imagine is he had a team who played more offense and supported his cause. Wow.

[Guest CanadianChris]

Martin Brodeur, when its all said and done, will be remembered as being better than Roy. Maybe the best ever. The guy is so bloody consistent. Imagine is he had a team who played more offense and supported his cause. Wow.

I disagree, for exactly the reason you said. If his teams were more committed to offence, he wouldn't look nearly as good simply because his defence would give up more chances.

[Guest BANKYWOOD]

Martin Brodeur, when its all said and done, will be remembered as being better than Roy.  Maybe the best ever.  The guy is so bloody consistent.  Imagine is he had a team who played more offense and supported his cause.  Wow.

I disagree, for exactly the reason you said. If his teams were more committed to offence, he wouldn't look nearly as good simply because his defence would give up more chances.

Brodeur on the Avs would have been greater than Roy. They had both amazing defense and offense. Same with the Red Wings from last year. The Devils don't have the greatest defense in the league, and they have fairly weak offense. They would be nowhere without Brodeur.

[Guest MaxPower27]

Jersey has one of the best defenses in the league, Banky. They have for years.

[Guest fairtoflair7]

BEST GOALIE EVER....(or best I've ever seen). I will always remember watching the 86' series against the Rangers, preferably Game 3 when he made UNBELEIVABLE saves and kept the Habs in the game until Claude Lemieux bailed them out in OT. Someone shoudl go watch thte NHL Overtime video to witness this great performance. He also wasn't too shabby in 93' either.

[Guest BANKYWOOD]

Jersey has one of the best defenses in the league, Banky. They have for years.

I acknowledge that.

 

But the Red Wings of last year, and Avalanche of this year had just as good as the Devils. BUT, the Wings and Avalanche have a great offensive upside than the Devils. All I am saying is that Brodeur still wins at pace with Roy and Hasek without the offensive support the others goalies get.

[Guest Zack Malibu]

And so my favorite hockey player ever walks off into the sunset.

 

From Montreal to Colorado, I've always been a fan. Hell, Roy MADE me a fan of Colorado. I'm going to miss the guy.

[Guest MaxPower27]

Jersey has one of the best defenses in the league, Banky. They have for years.

I acknowledge that.

 

But the Red Wings of last year, and Avalanche of this year had just as good as the Devils. BUT, the Wings and Avalanche have a great offensive upside than the Devils. All I am saying is that Brodeur still wins at pace with Roy and Hasek without the offensive support the others goalies get.

He doesn't need the offense when his defense is clogging up the neutral zone and allowing 15 shots a game.

[Guest nl5xsk1]

As a Roy-hater (first because he beat my Bruins every year in the postseason, and then because he got traded to one of my least favorite teams) it's tough for me to say this, but I'm going to miss watching him play.

 

Besides being one of the two greatest goalies of all time - it's too tough to compare him to Plante due to the differences between the eras - he also provided one of my favorite sports quotes: "I can't really hear what Jeremy (Roenick) says because I've got two Stanley Cup rings plugging my ears"

[Guest CanadianChris]

My greatest memory of Roy (aside from his RIDICULOUS 1993 playoff run) was him coming back from an emergency appendectomy, missing only one game, and making 39 saves to beat the Bruins in Game 4 of a 1994 first-round series.

 

The man is superhuman.

[Guest bob_barron]

I also never liked Roy because I don't like the Habs or Avs but like everyone else said- I will miss watching him play and I'm glad I got to see him play live before he retired.

[Guest nl5xsk1]

My greatest memory of Roy (aside from his RIDICULOUS 1993 playoff run) was him coming back from an emergency appendectomy, missing only one game, and making 39 saves to beat the Bruins in Game 4 of a 1994 first-round series.

 

The man is superhuman.

It's funny, but one of my LEAST favorite Roy memories was him coming back to beat the B's in that game.

 

I'd have to say one of my favorite moments was listening to the horse-tooth Jackass John Elway mispronounce his name as ROY (rhymes with boy) when he got traded by the Habs.