Canadiens Blog: Roy deserving of the ultimate honour

T.C. Denault
2008-03-25 12:14:42

Time heals all wounds. Well, whoever wrote that never met some fans of the Montreal Canadiens. There is no more passionate fan base in hockey, and perhaps sports than those who cheer for the Habs. The typical fan is an informed sort who continually searches for information scours websites, listens to the shows on the radio, and doesn't miss a game on the television.

United in their love for the Habs there are few things that divide opinion as much as one former player named Patrick Roy. Unquestionably, one of the greatest goaltenders to ever grace the nets, the debate on Roy centers on one issue, a moment that lives in Montreal hockey infamy, a single game against the Detroit Red Wings.

For many Habs fans and some in the media, that game represents the night that Patrick Roy quit on the Montreal Canadiens. Roy's recent activity in the Quebec League has brought these critics out of the wilderness. Calling him a thug, a goon, and a bully; they claim to respect Roy's accomplishments yet disdain the man. The main thrust of their argument is that Roy is undeserving of having his number retired by the Canadiens, as is anticipated next year.

I don't personally know Patrick Roy. I only know him through what I've read and seen through the years. Here's what I know for sure;

-Patrick Roy made a contribution to the history of the Montreal Canadiens that very few can match
-Without Patrick Roy the Montreal Canadiens would not have won the Stanley Cup in 1986 and 1993, as seen by his two Conn Smythe trophies, a feat no other Habs player can claim.
-Patrick Roy was the greatest goaltender of his generation
-Patrick Roy was the most innovative goaltender of his generation, and perhaps only second to Jacques Plante in hockey history.
-Patrick Roy was the greatest Montreal Canadiens star since Guy Lafleur
-After Patrick Roy left the team; the Canadiens went into a decade of mediocrity

Ironically, after twelve plus years many still believe that Roy "quit" on the Canadiens, when the truth is that the Canadiens led by head coach Mario Tremblay quit on Patrick Roy. Sadly, sometimes the relationship between a team and its legends can come to a frustrating end. Some fans tend to gloss over it but legends such as Plante, Doug Harvey, Bernie Geoffrion, Guy Lafleur, Serge Savard, and Larry Robinson all left the Habs under acrimonious terms. Even the team's greatest star; Maurice Richard was estranged from the organization for a few decades.

The players whose names hover on the banners that overhang the Bell Centre are there not because they were great men, but because they were the greatest players in the history of the Montreal Canadiens. If somebody, doesn't believe that Patrick Roy is one of those legends then they should take a closer look at some of the Stanley Cup banners that also hang from those same rafters. Because that is where the greatness of Patrick Roy is measured.

T.C. Denault is a lifelong fan of the Montreal Canadiens and a featured columnist for HabsWorld.net.