Patrick Roy shocked the Colorado Avalanche yesterday by stepping down as head coach after three seasons. One of the reasons that this is so surprising is that there is only about two months until the next NHL season begins. Why did this not happen sooner?
Roy won a division championship in his first season as Colorado’s head coach before missing the playoffs the last two seasons. Roy cited a front office disconnect as his reason for leaving. There was definitely a problem at some level when the Avalanche dropped eight of their last nine games to end last season and freefall out of playoff contention.
The collapse Colorado encountered would be a death sentence for virtually every NHL head coach. However, Joe Sakic stood by Roy at the end of the year when many people were calling for his head. That decision has really put the Avalanche behind the eight ball.
Now Colorado has to find a new head coach when every relevant head coach in the league is basically under contract somewhere. Plus, what is the real plan that Colorado’s front office has in place for this team? Roy steps down now after he was with the team making decisions in both the draft and in free agency. The whole thing does not make any sense.
The fact is that this move should have been made back in April in order to give Colorado a fighting chance this upcoming season. Now the Avalanche are without a head coach or a true system moving forward.
For whatever reason, the Avalanche have not seemed to get it since the glory days of 15 years ago. Colorado is settling for mediocrity when for so long it strived for excellence.
Roy was not working as head coach of the Avalanche, and management failed to make the correct decision at the end of last season. That lack of decision making will hurt Colorado this upcoming season.
The core of a solid team is mostly there for the Avalanche. It is time for the front office and the new head coach to actually communicate a proper plan this time moving forward.
To listen to more on Roy and the Avs, check out the podcast below…
Catch the Weekend Drive every Saturday and Sunday from 2p-4p on Mile High Sports AM 1340 | FM 104.7 or stream live any time for the best local coverage of Colorado sports from Denver’s biggest sports talk lineup.