Five NHL teams are currently without a head coach. They are the Anaheim Ducks, Calgary Flames, Columbus Blue Jackets, New York Rangers and Washington Capitals. Which brings us to the next question: How could these teams afford to look up to Patrick Roy?
The big boss of the Quebec Remparts ice hockey operation isn’t the only good coach available. Darryl Sutter, who managed the Flames, led the Los Angeles Kings to two Stanley Cup titles. Peter Laviolette, fired by the Capitals, gave the Carolina Hurricanes their only championship to date.
Joel Quenneville, who failed to act against his assistant Brad Aldrich in the Kyle Beach case, could be pardoned for the trophy by Gary Bettman after the next final. Quenneville is the second-most winning coach in NHL history with 969 and has won three rings with the Chicago Blackhawks.
His name has gone down in Kyle Beach history. But if he gets absolution from the commissioner of the NHL, he should be in demand. The Rangers have shown interest in his services.
So, as we can see, Patrick Roy isn’t the only one in the ranks. But if any of the five organizations looking for a head coach really want to continue, they will hire him.
experience in reconstruction
The Ducks and Blue Jackets are in a rebuilding phase. However, it is not said that Roy could not wish to work for one of these teams.
The Colorado Avalanche had missed the playoffs three straight years before he returned to Denver as a coach. In his first season he was voted coach of the year.
Things went downhill for the next two years and the collaboration between Roy and Joe Sakic ended badly. Roy’s decision to leave the Avalanche just weeks before training camp hurt him.
Roy ended up on a blacklist.
The Canadian spoke to him, but out of politeness.
We never felt that the organization he gifted two Stanley Cups to wanted to bring him back into their circle.
It was enough to take off his sweater.
Roy scares the executives. They fear his impulsiveness. The man takes a seat.
But it’s a winner.
Nobody can take that away from him.
Perfect for New York
Roy would be perfect for Rangers. New York loves big names.
A guy of Roy’s caliber could help Alexis Lafrenière put his fledgling NHL career on solid footing. He could turn the best elements of Rangers into champions like Mika Zibanejad, Artemi Panarin and Adam Fox to name a few.
Roy could also be a big boost for the Flames, who many saw as cup contenders this season. Jonathan Huberdeau’s first season, directed by Darryl Sutter, turned out to be a disaster.
Craig Conroy’s arrival as CEO is a step in the right direction. I knew Conroy when he was in the Canadiens organization, and later in the St. Louis Blues and the Flames.
He’s an enthusiastic guy who will bring a breath of fresh air to the Flames. His predecessor, Brad Treliving, was a somber man.
As for Darryl Sutter, it was Darryl Sutter.
A guy who can be charming in life, but who likes to let his players live under a tension that ends up becoming unbearable.
Why not the Leafs?
There’s another team that Roy would be a good fit for, but this one still has its coach for now.
Will Sheldon Keefe continue to be the Leafs’ trusted man behind the bench if Brendan Shanahan chooses Kyle Dubas’ successor?
At this point, the Leafs have everything to gain and nothing to lose. Roy would likely be able to bring the Auston Matthews, John Tavares and William Nylander to the same level of competitiveness as Mitch Marner, Ryan O’Reilly and Morgan Rielly.
Typically, players respect a coach who has won four Stanley Cup rings and a Calder Cup as a player. There is also a Memorial Cup – and maybe a second one soon – and the Gilles-Courteau Trophy.
If leaders of the five teams looking for a new head coach watched the Remparts celebrate after beating the Mooseheads in Halifax last Sunday, they will have noticed that their young players share a special bond with Patrick Roy.
