Roy hopes for NHL in Quebec City during hometown celebration

QUEBEC CITY — It was a special homecoming for Patrick Roy on Tuesday night at the Colisee. In front of thousands of adoring fans, the head coach of the Colorado Avalanche had his name raised to the rafters on a banner, honouring the NHL legend.

Even players like Quebec Remparts goalie Zach Fucale, who grew up in Rosemere, Que., were excited about the prospect of seeing Roy feted.

“It’s very special,” said Fucale. “The people here in Quebec really appreciated everything he’s done here and for the sport. I mean he’s a legend of the sport. Obviously tonight it’s going to be a special night for Quebec.”

Roy said he hopes one day the NHL will once again return to Quebec City, where they have almost finished construction on the 18,482-seat state-of-the-art Videotron Centre next to the Colisee.

“This is a great hockey town,” said Roy. “The people in Quebec they love hockey - just looking at the (QMJHL’s) Remparts – to see how many people are coming night after night to support this team for the past 10 years. The Remparts have been the No. 1 franchise in the CHL for attendance. This is a great hockey town and I really, really hope that one day there will be an NHL team in Quebec.”

Roy, 49, said he had a lot of great memories of playing and coaching in the Colisee. Starting when he was a minor hockey player up until the time he started as general manager and head coach of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League’s Quebec Remparts.

“I had an opportunity to play in the (Quebec) Pee Wee Tournament,” said Roy. “We had a pretty good run that year – my first year – it was pretty impressive playing in this building. They were without doubt highlights of my life especially in youth hockey.”

He joined the Remparts in 2003 as owner and general manager and began coaching the team in 2005 up until he left to join the Avalanche in 2013.

“The fact that I was working in my city and with my own team made it very special,” said Roy.

As head coach of the Avalanche, Roy missed the playoffs and finished the season with a 39-31-12 record in the Western Conference. After the season ended the team announced assistant coach Andre Tourigny and video coach Mario Duhamel were not returning to the team.

“These things happen,” Roy told reporters in French. “Andre wanted more responsibility and we weren't on the same wave length in terms of job descriptions. (He) wanted to expand his role and I always believed that hockey is a team sport and we need to work as a group where everyone needs to feel they are important. And that motivated his decision.”

Since their departure, there have been rumours circling that Tourigny could join Dave Cameron’s staff with the Ottawa Senators and Duhamel could be in the running for one of the open QMJHL coaching jobs.

Roy was also asked his thoughts on Mike Babcock’s record $50-million contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

“He’s probably one of the best coaches – if not the best coach – in our game,” said Roy. “He’s been in the league for a long time and I think he earned that right. I think if you look at all the sports, I think hockey’s a little behind in (terms) of coaches being paid. Not even the coaches, the assistant coaches.

“I hope what happened to Mike will help other coaches in the NHL.”

French translation provided by Bill Beacon of the Canadian Press