After last year's Gilles-Courteau Trophy and Memorial Cup with the Quebec Remparts, Patrick Roy is now tackling another goal, namely winning the Stanley Cup as head coach, assures his long-time partner and friend Jacques Tanguay.
Tanguay had been aware of the negotiations for some time. In any case, he and his friend don't hide anything from each other.
And even though he took a break from hockey last June and left the Remparts, Tanguay was aware that the fire for Roy still burned, and still does.
“It is a great source of pride to see him return to the NHL to lead a great city. He is making a comeback after achieving a great feat by winning the Memorial Cup last year. It is a trophy that requires so much effort and energy. It was hard work and now he is on his way to lifting his second trophy,” he says.
That second trophy, as you probably understood, is the Stanley Cup.
“That’s why he’s coming back. He came back to win the Stanley Cup. He comes to New York with a group of young players who can benefit from this. It’s an incredible incentive for the players and I’m sure he’s walked into the room and the players are really excited.”
A little earlier than expected
Tanguay had no doubt that his friend would return to the NHL. However, he believes Saturday's news came a little earlier than both men expected.
The two men announced their departure from the Quebec Remparts last June after winning the Gilles-Courteau Trophy and Memorial Cup, wanting to take some time off from hockey.
Roy expected to take a year off and there were rumors that he had turned down two offers from Western teams in recent months. However, it appears that Lou Lamoriello's offer has won him over.
“He took the time to rest. “It may have happened a little quicker than we expected, so maybe he deserved to rest longer,” he joked. But he is very excited about his new challenge.”