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No, the Canadiens should not consider hiring Patrick Roy

Well, well well… The legendary Patrick Roy, formerly of the Stanley Cup winning Montreal Canadiens, has left his post as the head coach of the Colorado Avalanche. The same team that he left the Montreal Canadiens for back in the mid-90’s. The same team that he also won the Stanley Cup with… Twice.

And now that he’s on the market, many fans and pundits alike have been toying with the idea that the Canadiens should be looking at him to be their next coach. To replace the embattled Michel Therrien in the wake of a disastrous season that saw them miss the playoffs.

But no, the Canadiens should absolutely not consider hiring him.

I have been one of the biggest Michel Therrien detractors out there. I have publicly called for him to be replaced on numerous occasions, and I’m not yet ready to retract anything that I’ve said on the matter. Still, to consider Patrick Roy as a viable replacement is other-worldly in terms of its ridiculousness.

Allow me to explain.

Yes, Roy is a legend in Montreal. His jersey hangs from the rafters as a direct result of putting the team on his back for two Stanley Cup wins. He is from the province of Quebec, and he speaks French. That is where the reasons to hire him end.

The reasons against hiring him form a much longer list.

His tenure in Colorado started out well enough, but it became quickly apparent that he was unable to put together a squad capable of winning consistently. That first good year was met with a first-round playoff exit, followed by two years of missing the dance entirely.

For one, you’d have a veritable media circus. Roy returning to Montreal would create the most ridiculously long and arduous saga of hot takes that would drive one to the point of insanity. It would be hell. Quebec separating from Canada would draw less attention. Maybe not, but I digress.

He has a notoriously hot temper. This stems both from his playing days and his time behind the bench. Michel Therrien has been known to get a little heated at times himself, but nowhere near the level that Roy is on. Therrien is no expert communicator, but to replace him with a temperamental personality like Roy would do no good.

Roy has an NHL coaching record of 130-92-24. Therrien has a record of 375-284-26. Therrien has over 100 more wins as a coach than Roy has games. The experience edge is vast, and even if you consider them to be even in their abilities, I think you have to stick with the guy that has been around longer.

All this is to say, Patrick Roy has done exactly nothing to prove that he is a viable replacement for Michel Therrien. At the very best, it would be a lateral move that wouldn’t benefit the team in the slightest.

And let’s not forget, Roy just walked away from his team. He didn’t get fired, things weren’t going his way, so he just walked. Say what you will about Michel Therrien, things went badly for him too, and he didn’t abandon ship. Does anyone really want a coach that takes off when things go badly? I know I don’t.

Is Therrien replaceable? Yes he is. However, to think that bringing Patrick Roy back to Montreal would magically fix the problems that exist with the Canadiens is absurd. It wouldn’t work, and it would likely create more problems than it would fix.

The grass might look greener on the other side, but the overwhelming truth is that it is not. The Montreal Canadiens should not be considering Patrick Roy whatsoever.

Should the Canadiens hire Patrick Roy?

Yes 755
No 1429
Platypus 454

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