Roy will be rooting for Avalanche in Stanley Cup Final

Patrick Roy will be sitting in his Quebec City home 2,000 miles from Denver when the Stanley Cup Final begins at Ball Arena, arguably the biggest fan of the Colorado Avalanche east of the Rockies.

"I am an Avalanche fan, seriously," said Roy, the former Colorado goalie and coach. "I have so much respect for 'Landy' (captain Gabriel Landeskog) and Nate (center Nathan MacKinnon).
"It was a privilege coaching those guys. Joe (Sakic, the Avalanche general manager) gave me the opportunity. I have so much respect for Joe. He's been doing a very good job, building that team, putting it together."
The Avalanche will open the best-of-7 series against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday (8 p.m. ET; ESPN+, ABC, CBC, SN, TVAS).
Roy anchored Colorado's two Stanley Cup championships -- in 1996, just six months after his stunning Dec. 6, 1995 trade to the Avalanche by the Montreal Canadiens, and in 2001, a title most famous for veteran defenseman Ray Bourque finally winning the Cup at the end of a 22-season NHL career.

From left, Patrick Roy with the Stanley Cup following victories with the Colorado Avalanche in 1996 and the Montreal Canadiens in 1993 and 1986.
Roy also won two championships with the Canadiens -- as a rookie in 1986, and again in 1993. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy voted as the most valuable player of the postseason in 1986, 1993 and 2001, the only player to win the award three times. Sakic won it with the Avalanche in 1996.
Roy retired following the 2002-03 season, returning to Colorado a decade later to step behind the Avalanche bench as coach and into the front office as vice-president of hockey operations.
RELATED: [Complete Avalanche vs. Lightning series coverage]
Over three seasons after being hired in 2013 by Sakic, who had just been promoted to executive vice president of hockey operations, Roy was 130-92-24. He helped lead Colorado to the Central Division title in 2013-14 with 112 points. That equaled a franchise record and earned him the Jack Adams Award voted as NHL coach of the year.
But Colorado was upset by the Minnesota Wild in Game 7 of their first-round series in 2014, then missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs the next two seasons. Roy resigned abruptly in August 2016, citing philosophical differences with management. He was replaced as coach by Jared Bednar, who this season has taken the Avalanche to their first Stanley Cup Final since Roy's stellar goaltending played a huge part in the 2001 championship.

From left, defenseman Ray Bourque, coach Bob Hartley, goalie Patrick Roy and forward Joe Sakic, the team captain, following the Colorado Avalanche's 2001 Stanley Cup victory.
Any rift with Sakic seems to have healed, and Roy said he is hoping to watch his former team bring the Stanley Cup back to Denver.
He was effusive in his praise of MacKinnon, whom he championed with Avalanche staff in advance of the 2013 NHL Draft, Colorado ultimately choosing the forward with the No. 1 pick. And he hailed defenseman Cale Makar, claiming "he could become the best defenseman to ever play the game."
"At the end of the day, they're fun to watch, they're good for the game," Roy said of MacKinnon and Makar. "They're what our game needs, not just for the pro level but for the juniors as well. High tempo and playing that way, these guys are models for younger players. They're certainly going to bring our game to another level and that's what we need."
Roy tried unsuccessfully to connect with Sakic through huge crowds May 3 at the Montreal funeral of Canadiens legend Guy Lafleur.
"So, I texted Joe and wished him good luck," he said. "I told him 'You guys are fun to watch. This is very entertaining. The people in Denver are very lucky to have such a great team, and a team that is exciting to watch.'"

The same could be said for the champion Avalanche in 1996 and 2001.
"I don't know if I'm going to try to compare Stanley Cups, but 2001 felt very special," Roy said. "I felt like all year, we were playing for Ray."
Bourque had arrived with the Avalanche by trade in March 2000, having played nearly 21 seasons with the Boston Bruins. The trade to powerhouse Colorado was clearly made to give the veteran a shot at winning his first championship.
The Avalanche fell short in 2000, losing Game 7 of the Western Conference Final to the Dallas Stars. But with Bourque returning for training camp that fall, the message was clear to everyone.
"We wanted to win that (2001) Cup for Ray," Roy said. "We used the term 'Mission 16' (for the number of playoff wins it takes to win the Stanley Cup) and from training camp through the playoffs, we just played one way and that was to win every night.

"We knew why Ray was coming to Denver in 2000. We were all very sad that we couldn't win the Cup that year. Having him come back the next year meant a lot to every one of us. I think it really motivated every one of us to play our best, to have the best season."
It was a historic season for Roy, who passed Terry Sawchuk with his 446th regular-season victory to become the all-time winningest NHL goalie.
"I was very happy, very proud to get that record, especially because it was there for a long time (since 1970)," Roy said. "Obviously the rules have changed. In Terry's day there were ties. Now, there's overtime and a shootout. It's easier now for goaltenders to get wins and winning games is what your team wants."
Roy retired with 551 regular-season wins in the NHL and was later passed by Martin Brodeur, who hung up his skates with 691. Marc-Andre Fleury is third with 520. Roy's top-ranked 151 playoff wins will be safe for a long time; Fleury's third-ranked 92 is the best among active goalies.
"Marc-André is having a great career," Roy said. "I'm sure he'd say what I do: you have to play on good teams with good leaders to have success, and I was very fortunate to have that."

It wasn't an easy playoff road for the Avalanche in 2001 once a first-round sweep of the Vancouver Canucks was in the books. Star center Peter Forsberg was lost to the team following Colorado's Game 7 victory against the Los Angeles Kings in the second round, rushed to hospital almost at the final siren for the removal of a ruptured spleen.
"We had enough character and depth to find a way to win," Roy said. "We did it against the (St. Louis) Blues (winning the conference final in five games) and we came back against the (New Jersey) Devils in Game 6 of the Final."
Indeed, Colorado faced elimination in Game 6, down 3-2 to New Jersey and playing on the road.
Roy was still smarting following personal disaster in Game 4.
"I won't lie to you, Game 4 was probably one of the darkest moments of my career," he recalled. "I went behind the net midway through the third period, the puck jumped over my stick and the Devils scored into an empty net to tie the game. We were rolling, everything was under control, we were cruising to a win, then boom! Just like that. They scored again late to win 3-2 and tie the series 2-2, sending it back to Denver. They won Game 5 and oh my God, I felt so miserable going back to New Jersey, facing elimination."

Roy fumed internally for a bit and then picked up the phone.
"I called Ray and said, 'Ray, give us the best pregame speech ever before Game 6, and I'm going to make the big save at the start of the game and we'll come back to Denver for Game 7,'" Roy said. "Ray was very good with that speech. I remember him saying, 'Stick with me, guys, stick with me.' He was saying it over and over, talking to the group, and I think we all got the message, it was nice to come back to win that game (4-0), then win Game 7.
"When 'Footer' (Adam Foote) scored his goal near the end of the first period in Game 6, I jumped so high that I think I almost touched the ceiling of the rink, that's how happy I was that we took a 1-0 lead.
"In the second period, Ville Nieminen and Chris Drury scored and it was, 'OK, we're back in the series.' But obviously we knew that everything was on the line in Game 7. Alex Tanguay scored two goals and Joe (Sakic) had our third (in a 3-1 win). I won't lie, it was a very special moment winning that Stanley Cup for Ray."

Roy was brilliant in winning his third Conn Smythe Trophy. That playoff season, he was 16-7 with a .934 save percentage, 1.70 goals-against average and four shutouts. He had his best playoff save percentage and GAA. In 1996, he was 16-6, .921, 2.10 with three shutouts.
Roy and Sawchuk were joined again in that they both had an impressive span of 15 years between their first and last Stanley Cup wins -- Roy between 1986-2001, Sawchuk between 1952-67.
For now, Roy, general manager and coach of the Quebec Remparts in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, will be happy to settle back at home and watch the Avalanche again battle for the Stanley Cup. That Colorado will have been cooling its heels for at least 10 days since sweeping the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference Final is of little concern to the Hall of Fame goalie.

Colorado Avalanche coach Patrick Roy (left) and Joe Sakic, president of hockey operations, welcome Nathan MacKinnon to their team as the first overall pick in the 2013 NHL Draft at the Prudential Center in New Jersey.
"I think the guys are hungry and knowing Landy and Nate, they're going to make sure their guys are ready," Roy said. "There's no doubt in my mind that they will. Landeskog is a really good captain. He's a phenomenal leader, he plays a 200-foot game, he has a really solid head on his shoulders and I'm sure he'll make sure his teammates are ready.
"I'm speaking from experience, I worked with him for three years there. He was already the leader of the team then … smart, making good decisions, capable of talking to the guys. Now he's even more experienced. And MacKinnon, when he gets on his horse and flies, my God, he's fun to watch.
"I'm sure they're on a mission, like we were in 2001 for Ray. It's impressive. I'm happy for the fans in Denver and I'm happy for Joe, he's been doing a very good job. I'm just going to put my feet up and watch it on TV. It's going to be fun. The Final will be great hockey and it will be great for the game."
Photos: Hockey Hall of Fame (Jeffrey T. Barnes; Dave Sandford; Chris Relke); Getty Images