With Ralph Krueger recently being tabbed as the next bench boss for the Buffalo Sabres, the number of openings in the NHL continues to dwindle. One of those teams still in need of a head coach is the Ottawa Senators and, according to reports, they will interview former Avalanche Head Coach and Hockey Hall of Famer, Patrick Roy next week for that spot.
The search to replace Guy Boucher, who was fired on March 1st, has become quite a process for the Senators. Ottawa finished last in the NHL with a 29-47-6 record and have already interviewed several potential candidates to this point in the offseason. Including Marc Crawford, who was named interim head coach after Boucher was let go. With the Stanley Cup Finals set to begin in just over a week, time is starting to run out for a franchise in desperate need of a turnaround.
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Roy’s only NHL head coaching experience came from his three seasons spent with the Colorado Avalanche. In that time, he compiled a 130-92-24 record. His first season on the job (2013-14), he led the Avs to a 52-22-8 record. and won the Jack Adams Award for the league’s best coach. He followed that up with back-to-back 39 win seasons before he abruptly resigned during the 2015-16 season.
He spent last season with the QMJHL’s Quebec Remparts, his second go-around with the team. in 68 games, he led them to a 27-28-0 record. For a team that has a bevy of draft picks over the next few seasons, a coach who can connect with young talent would be an ideal candidate for the Senators.
Of course, Roy is best known as one of the greatest goalies in the history of the game. After spending over a decade with the Canadians, Roy was acquired by the Avalanche during the 1995-96 season and helped lead them to a Stanley Cup Championship in their first year after the franchise moved from Quebec. He led them to a second title during the 2000-01 season when he, Joe Sakic, Ray Bourque, and the star-studded Avalanche team knocked of Martin Brodeur and the New Jersey Devils in a classic seven-game series. He retired following the 2002-03 season as the winningest goalie in NHL history.
– Ian Glendon is the Editor-In-Chief of Full Press Coverage and the Managing Editor of FPC NHL. He covers the National Hockey League. Like and follow on Follow @iglen31 Follow @FPC_NHL and Facebook.
