Patrick Roy is a living legend of the Colorado Avalanche. Over his nineteen-year-old hockey career, he was able to set many records and become the four-time Stanley Cup holder.
The beginning of the way
With the departure of Patrick Rua, the thirty-third issue became the property of history for all fans of the Colorado Avalanche. The four -time Stanley Cup winner is a native of the Canadian provincial town of Quebec City. Rua was born on the fifth of October 1965. In the same year and day, another famous hockey player - Mario Lemieux - was born. His subsequent successful performances for the National Hockey League are still a big mystery to many true hockey experts.
Prior to appearing in the NHL, Patrick Rua played for the Granby Bizons, where he could steadily miss up to five goals per game. 1984 was a turning point for the awkward lanky guy. It was acquired by Montreal Canadiens and presented him with a debut goalkeeper sweater with fifty-first number. In the first game, the newcomer was able to appear on ice in only one period. After his appearance, he was immediately sent by the leadership of the team to the Baysons club for continuing education courses. By the end of the season, Rua looked more dignified on the ice, which ultimately helped him become the first goalkeeper of the Sherbrooke Canadiens, playing in the second-class hockey league of the United States. Patrick Roy, a young, but very ambitious goalkeeper, helped his club win the Cup.
And again - to Montreal
The next season, the athlete returned to the abandoned Montreal a year earlier. But the leadership of the team, again underestimating the potential of the Canadian, puts him the third goalkeeper. However, the strong-willed character of Roy, which is so often remembered by the coaches of “Montreal”, helps him adequately cope with unusually heavy physical exertion. Patrick was able to quickly get comfortable in the top division and by the end of the season he became the main goalkeeper of Montreal. By the way, in the same year the club for the 23rd time won the most honorable overseas trophy - the Stanley Cup. Rua made a significant contribution to the victory of the Montreal, brilliantly playing in the playoffs. Patrick was also awarded a separate award - he became the best cup player.
All subsequent years, until 1997, the Canadian hockey player also spends in the ranks of the Canadiens, tightly staking out the title of first goalkeeper. By the way, in 1993, Patrick again with his club became the owner of Stanley and received the title of best goalkeeper of the National Hockey League.
Patrick Roy: Butterfly Hockey Player
Hockey fans often call Roy the creator of the so-called “butterfly stroke” style. However, they mistakenly believe that it was Patrick who first began to stand in the goal “butterfly”. The inventor of the butterfly is actually the legendary Glen Hall.
But it was Patrick Roy who was able to bring this playing style to the right level. The main secret of the goalkeeper’s success was the company’s forward rolling, thanks to which the angle of fire was immediately reduced. At the very moment of impact, Rua always crouched on his knees and spread both legs to the sides, forming the so-called butterfly. Thus, Patrick almost completely closed the entire lower part of the hockey goal. Now almost all NHL goalkeepers use a similar style of play on ice.
Leaving Montreal Canadiens
The coaches at the helm of Montreal have repeatedly pointed out the overly explosive nature of the Canadian goalkeeper. Indeed, Rua rarely could endure unfounded criticism. The goalkeeper was particularly keen on unsuccessful games as part of his favorite team. It was they who were the main reason for the departure of Roy from Montreal.
After the conquest of the Stanley Cup in 1993, as mentioned above, the Montreal was led by Mario Tramble. His training methodology, based on unlimited submission, immediately pleased a number of players. Rua was no exception. Due to the misunderstanding that prevailed in the team, “Montreal” not only could not repeat last year’s success, but spent its worst season in the NHL. During the games, Patrick spoke a few times in passing about his departure. The last straw for Roy was the home game against the Detroit Red Wings. Patrick missed eleven goals right away. But Tramble, who noticed in the first period that Rua was in bad shape, did not begin to make a substitution, thereby putting on the general mockery of the once best league goalkeeper. At the end of the match, the coach finally decided to replace the athlete. But the Canadian’s proud disposition prevented him from leaving the ice arena so easily. Walking past the bench with substitutes, Rua approached the club president and shouted that this game would be his last in the Montreal squad.
Four days later, Patrick Roy was already trying on a sweater “Quebec Nordics”, the club of his old dream. During the offseason, the team moved to Denver and took the name Colorado Avalanche.
Colorado vs. Red Wings
And again, the main culprit for the victories for his club was Patrick Roy. The hockey player, whose photo in the new Colorado Avalanche form is presented below, could again enter the fight for the Stanley Cup. Also, thanks to the appearance of the athlete in Colorado, the hockey world was able to watch with enthusiasm the most brilliant confrontations that took place between the team of Roy and her archenemy Detroit Red Wings. By the way, the first match against the “red wings” was a very disastrous for Patrick. In the home game, the goalkeeper was able to miss seven goals from the Detroit players. But this failure only tempered the already solid character of the Canadian. The subsequent matches against the “wings” are difficult to characterize with simple hockey fights. Thanks to Patrick’s desperate disposition, these games turned into real ice battles. Suffice it to recall the two fights that Roy made with the goalkeepers of Detroit.
Retirement
At age 37, Rua decided to leave the ice. As for the departure of the brilliant goalkeeper, Colorado fans arranged a real celebration. Patrick Roy, photo which in the eternal club T-shirt can be seen below, has become a real symbol of the team. The hockey player came to the farewell ceremony with his family. Fans of the team standing applauded the great goalkeeper, who managed to do so much for their home club. In the same place at the ceremony, a common unspoken decision of the leadership of the team and fans for Patrick was forever assigned to his beloved thirty-third number.
During his nineteen-year-old hockey career, Roy was able to set several major records at once. He won the honorary overseas trophy four times, first with Montreal and then with Colorado Avalanche. Patrick three times became the most valuable hockey player of the National Hockey League and also three times received the title of the best goalkeeper. January 21, 1993 was a special date in the career of a Canadian. It was on this day that Patrick stepped onto the ice for the 1000th time in a game against Dallas Stars. In total, the athlete spent 1029 matches in the hockey arena. Also Patrick Roy is the champion in the total number of played “dry” matches and in the number of victories won.