Patrick Roy’s career as head coach is now over…at junior hockey at least. And during his 13 years at the helm of the Quebec Remparts, spread across two different stints, he saw many faces in the locker room, some of whom had continued on their way to the pro level.
Casseau confirmed his resignation during a news conference on Tuesday, stepping down as instructor and general manager. His stint with the Red Devils was significant as they won the Memorial Cup in 2006 and 2023 and the Gilles-Courteau Trophy this spring. However, it has also been the case for many skaters who have progressed under him, whether in his early years with the organization or upon his return in 2018 after his three stints with the Colorado Avalanche (from 2013 to 2016).
In fact, Roy’s 24 Troopers eventually found a taker in the National Hockey League (NHL) draft. Here are some hockey players who can thank him for helping them on their journey to the promised land.
Jonathan Marchessault, from 2007 to 2011
BENOIT GARIEPY/JOURNAL DE QUEBEC
The Vegas Golden Knights forward is enjoying a glittering 2023 NHL playoff and his name is regularly mentioned when it comes to the Conn-Smythe Trophy. He has scored at least 30 goals twice in his career. On the other hand, in his opinion, the veteran would not be the athlete he is today without Roy. Jonathan Marchessault was closely associated with the former star goalkeeper for four years and the boss behind the bench was less forgiving and, above all, more emotional than today. Relations between the two men weren’t always good, but that didn’t stop the player from averaging 40 goals and 95 points in his final junior year, which saw the Remparts reach the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (LHJMQ) semifinals. .
- Hear the interview with Nicole Bouchard, Director of Team Services and Media Relations for the Quebec Remparts, on Philippe-Vincent Foisy’s broadcast live daily at 7:45 am QUB radio :
“Even after a win he was able to keep me humble. Be a bit flat. However, it has helped me to keep a cool head in various situations. […] I’m really grateful to Patrick,” Marchessault recently told the Journal de Québec, adding that he won’t say bad words about him.
Marc-Edouard Vlasic, 2005-2006 season
JEAN-FRANCOIS DESGAGNES/JOURNAL
The longtime San Jose Sharks defenseman played his final season in the 2005-06 QMJHL when Roy took over as driver from Éric Lavigne in Quebec City. This was hugely rewarding for the Montreal native as he not only racked up 73 points in the regular season but also participated in some memorable series. The Remparts competed in the Quebec Circuit Finals, losing to the Moncton Wildcats. However, their losers hosted the Memorial Cup in New Brunswick that year, so the losers of the QMJHL Final Round Series received an invitation to the national tournament. And Roy’s men took the opportunity for revenge and defeated the Cats 6-2 in the decisive duel.
The following fall, Marc-Édouard Vlasic made his debut at Bettman circuit without even accepting a forced stint in the American League in his freshman year. He has played 1,239 regular season games and 142 more in the playoffs.
Mikhail Grigorenko, 2011-2012 and 2012-2013
Stevens LeBlanc/JOURNAL DE QUEBE
The Russian, who now makes a living in his home country in the Continental League (KHL), didn’t have the best stats in the NHL but he wowed crowds and teammates in Quebec. In the 2011–2012 season, he scored 40 goals and 85 points in just 59 games and helped the Remparts to 43 wins. These performances convinced the Buffalo Sabers to pick him at No. 12 at the amateur auction the following summer. Then came Mikhail Grigorenko with 54 points in 33 games in the fall of 2012, when a lockout paralyzed NHL activity; He traveled to Buffalo as soon as the labor dispute ended.
In addition, the attacker returned to the squad between 2013 and 2014, playing 28 times, including five games in the playoffs, this time under the leadership of Philippe Boucher. Unfortunately for Grigorenko, the achievements didn’t carry over to the top level: his final season in North America was 2020–2021 with the Columbus Blue Jackets, a brief stint in a career that he continued at CSKA Moscow.
Alexander Radulov, season 2005-2006
File photo, Portal
Just like Vlasic, Radu contributed to the club’s successes in 2005–2006. In his second and final year in Quebec, the forward led the league with 91 assists and 152 points, earning him the Jean Béliveau Trophy for first goalscorer. In the playoffs, he continued his excellent work with 21 goals and 55 points and secured the title of most worthy hockey player of the playoffs. Alexander Radulov finished his junior internship with 227 points before starting his career with the Nashville Predators in 2006.
Recall that the Russian wore the Habs’ jersey in 2016-2017 when he signed with the Dallas Stars, who scored 368 points in the NHL. He spent the last KHL season with Ak Bars Kazan.
Anthony Duclair, from 2011 to 2013
SIMON CLARK /JOURNAL DE QUEBEC/A
Opposing Marchessault in the Stanley Cup Finals, the Florida Panthers skater played more than three and a half seasons in Quebec from 2011-13, including the first two with Roy. These appear to have prepared well for the future after that With 116 points in 118 games, Anthony Duclair, with Boucher as his driver, soared in 2013 and 2014, reaching the 50-goal mark. He was recently selected by the New York Rangers in the third round of the NHL auction, and for that he owes the former No. 33 great credit. “He was a strict guy who led with passion and just wanted the best for his players. He was sometimes hard on me, but often very good,” he told the Journal in late May.
Duclair is certainly not the only one who has Roy to thank; the Panthers too. Before Tuesday’s game, the Quebecer had 11 points in 19 games of the 2023 playoffs. He hit the target 31 times in 2021-2022 before being sidelined for a long time with an Achilles tendon injury last July.
recognitions
Goalkeeper Louis Domingue ended his junior career in Quebec after starting it in Moncton. The Phoenix Coyotes’ fifth-round pick, acquired in the 2009–2010 season, participated in 115 duels with the Remparts in the regular season. Additionally, in the fall of 2012, Tampa Bay Lightning star Nikita Kucherov played a total of six games under Roy, who traded him to the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies.