According to a new report, Patrick Roy has had two chances to return to the NH this season, but turned down both
It seems every time there's a head coaching, or executive position open in the NHL, Hall-of-Famer Patrick Roy's name is in the mix. However, it's never really clear whether the team was actually seriously considering him. According to a new report, two NHL teams this season were ready to offer the legendary goaltender a new job.
Appearing on FM93 in Montreal, Ray Cloutier two teams in the Western Conference had offers on the table for Roy's return this season, but he turned them both down. As for the reason, Cloutier said he recently spent a day with Roy in Florida, and he's doing great at the moment.
Roy is coming off of a six-year stint as both general manager and head coach of the Quebec Remparts. Before that, he was the head coach and Vice-President of Hockey Operations with the Colorado Avalanche. He stepped down in 2016, and took a year off before returning to the Remparts.
Cloutier would not say which two teams in the West made the offers, but said the fact they were in the Western Conference played into Roy's decision.
"It is much more difficult to travel in the West than in the East."
"In Denver, there was jet lag very, very often. In the long run, about the trip, he had already told me that and I think that's one of the reasons why it interests him less. When you get older, these little details become important in your eyes, in your decisions, I believe."
As for possibilities on the two teams, three teams in the West fired coaches so far in the 2023-24 season: Edmonton Oilers (Jay Woodcroft), Minnesota Wild (Dean Evason), and the St. Louis Blues (Craig Berube).
