Colorado Avalanche legend Patrick Roy is resigning from his post as head coach and vice president of hockey operations, per a statement he released Thursday.
Roy, who had one year left on his deal, spent the last three seasons as the Avalanche’s head coach. He compiled a 130-92 record. Colorado has been to the playoffs once in his tenure as head coach; in 2013-14, the Avalanche finished first in the Central Division before losing to the Minnesota Wild in the first round.
The two seasons since that playoff appearance have been disappointing. Colorado finished last in the Central Division with 90 points in 2014-15, and then racked up 82 points last season for a sixth-place finish in the division.
It sounds like Roy wasn’t happy with how much weight his voice carried within the organization, according to his statement.
“I have thought long and hard over the course of the summer about how I might improve this team to give it the depth it needs to get it to a higher level,” Roy’s statement read. “To achieve this, the vision of the coach and VP-Hockey Operations needs to be perfectly aligned with that of the organization. He must also have a say in the decisions that impact the team’s performance. These conditions are not currently met.”
Roy, rather infamously, wasn’t a fan of new-school analytics’ role in the modern game. It’s highly possible his resignation had to do with the front office’s new-school analytical approach clashing with his old-school mentality.
Roy spent the better part of eight seasons as Colorado’s goaltender from 1995-2003. He is one of the best players in franchise history, and a key cog in a golden age of Colorado hockey. The Avalanche won two Stanley Cups and went to the playoffs every season in his tenure as a player.
Now with roughly two months to go until the regular season starts, Colorado will search for a new head coach.
“I am grateful to the Colorado Avalanche organization, with which I remain in good terms, for letting me lead this great team,” Roy’s statement read. “I thank all the players I had the pleasure of coaching and the fans for their unwavering, unconditional support. I remain forever loyal to the Avalanche with which I played 478 games, coached another 253, and won two Stanley Cups.”
