Is Saint Patrick headed back to the Avs?

March 24, 5:08 PMColorado Avalanche ExaminerBrian Thompson

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Could Patrick Roy be the next coach of the Avs?

After watching the Avalanche slog through another loss, their fourth in a row, one’s thoughts will eventually and mercifully turn towards what the offseason and next year will portend for this once proud franchise.

After the bandage swaddled train wreck that was the 2008-09 season, heads will roll.

The first to unceremoniously get their noggins lopped off will likely be Francois Giguere and Tony Granato.

Like it or not the brain trust guiding the Avs’ fortunes will be radically different if owner Stan Kroenke has a brain in his head.  You could legitimately make the argument Granato was not one of the cogs that failed this season but it is likely he'll be shown the door along with the maddeningly conservative Giguere.

And one of the truly fascinating scenarios making the rumor/commentary circuit is the arrival of legend Patrick Roy behind the bench.

Those in Avalanche country must be positively giddy at the mere thought of the hopefully triumphant return of a hockey god to right this floundering ship that is the Colorado Avalanche.

Recent history has shown that promoting or acquiring minor league coaching talent has paid big dividends to those bold enough to employ such a strategy. The Washington Capitals have flourished under the guidance of Bruce Budreau and behind the otherworldly skills of Alex Ovechkin. Ottawa has an 11-6-3 record since calling up Cory Clouston from AHL affiliate Birmingham. Penguins’ interim coach and minor league call-up Dan Bylsma has Pittsburgh playing harder and better than they were under Michel Therrien. And remember one Joel Quenneville, who now has Chicago clicking on all cylinders, was a minor league coaching project back in the 1990's and was an assistant with the 1996-97 Stanley Cup team.

No coach in the minor leagues or junior hockey right now provides a juicier boom/bust scenario than the mercurial Patrick Roy. Roy brings with him Gretzkyesque name-recognition cache, a legendary work ethic, and even more legendary temper.

Roy is a coaching neophyte admittedly, but could infuse the Avalanche with a dose of edginess and grit that is sorely lacking.

However, Roy’s coaching resume is painfully short. He was named head coach of the Quebec Remparts of the QMJHL on September 29, 2005 -- pretty easy to do when you are also the owner, general manager, and vice president in charge of operations. Anyway, Roy guided the Remparts to the Memorial Cup May 28, 2006, becoming only the seventh rookie head coach to take his team to the highest plateau in Canadian junior hockey.

Roy comes with a big set of baggage, too. He was accused of punching the co-owner of another QMJHL team in 2007, an incident that was investigated by Saguenay police. Roy reportedly apologized later. Then there were the nefarious actions of his two sons, both of whom, Jonathan and Frederick, were suspended for on-ice incidents. Allegedly Roy incited his son and fellow goalie Jonathan to fight an opposing goalie who clearly wanted no part in any fisticuffs, a little skirmish that netted Jonathan a seven-game suspension and an assault charge. Frederick cross-checked another player in the head and was suspended for 15 games.

Roy has a domestic violence complaint to add to his reputation as one of sports' true hot heads.

Then there is the little matter of two infamous fights with Detroit goaltenders in 1997 and 1998.

Oh, lest we forget, Roy got so mad at the Montreal Canadiens for an alleged affront to his honor when then-coach Mario Tremblay let him hang out to dry in a humiliating night where he let in nine goals on 26 shots. Roy told team president Ronald Corey, “This is my last game in Montreal.” Roy was traded to Colorado three days later, a move that made then Avs’ GM Pierre Lacroix an instant legend of the bargaining table.

So with Roy you have a hockey genius who possesses an ability to motivate, win, and spontaneously combust. He is the perfect storm of hockey smarts and incendiary personality. He is the classic boom/bust coach candidate.

In Denver, Roy is a household name and would put butts in seats, for a while. But if he proved to be the unmitigated disaster that the once sacrosanct Wayne Gretzky has proven to be behind the bench in Phoenix, Roy’s failure could retard the rebuilding process in which we find the Avalanche. If he succeeds Kroenke looks like a genius and Colorado has one of its sporting deities back as well as a winning hockey team again.

Roy has local connections still, will garner interest from a retreating fan base, and seemingly wants an NHL coaching spot some day.  So why not now?  No one will deny the jump from junior hockey to the NHL would be huge.  Nor would anyone ignore the inherent risk in such a move.

Oh, the possibilities.