 |
| |
|
 |
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Career for the ages Superstitious Roy cut a swath through hockey historyPosted: Wednesday May 28, 2003 1:53 PM
After 1,029 games, 551 wins, four Stanley Cups, three Conn Smythe Trophies and one indelible mark, that of the butterfly, Patrick Roy is set to hang up his goalie skates. SI.com spoke to Sports Illustrated senior writer Michael Farber, who has covered Roy extensively throughout his 18 seasons, about the goaltender's career and the announcement that it will come to a close. SI.com: After following Roy throughout his career with the Canadiens and Avalanche, and his brushes with Team Canada, what do you consider his place in history to be? Farber: With Roy, you can make two arguments. One is that he is the best goalie ever. With his consistency over the long term, the Stanley Cups, the three Conn Smythes, the career wins total of 551, one could make the argument that he is the best ever. If there's a blemish, it's his 6-7 record in playoff Game 7s. The other argument is that he's the most important goalie of all time, which is something entirely different. Jacques Plante, who popularized the goalie facemask, is probably as important as any goaltender to have played the game, but Roy is right there with him because he popularized the predominant style of goaltending that not only currently dominates the NHL, but also has changed the way the game is played. Roy did not invent the butterfly, but he made it the style that swept the game and essentially turned the province of Quebec into a goaltender factory. So in the historical sweep of the game, especially if scientific goaltending grows deeper roots, Roy’s place as a pioneer will be unquestioned.
Farber: Well, Roy changed the game he played. Not only did he play it at its highest level, but he also changed the way his position was played. How many other athletes changed the game? Michael Jordan? He was playing the game Connie Hawkins and Julius Erving played. Bill Russell might have changed basketball some. In tennis, it was equipment that changed the game. Jack Nicklaus changed the game of golf, I guess. But Roy's a guy who demonstrably changed hockey. He's not Babe Ruth, but he is in that rare circle of athletes who made and impact not only because of what he did, but also because of how he did it. And that is what makes Roy so incredibly special. SI.com: Which current goaltender has a shot at breaking Roy’s career wins total? Farber: Martin Brodeur, who is the anomaly among Quebec goaltenders in that he does not immediately butterfly, has a terrific shot at surpassing Roy's record. Brodeur is 31 now, he's relatively young, and he plays for a good team that's committed to team defense. And he's always been disgustingly healthy. In an era in which the two-goalie system seems merely quaint, outside of Minnesota at least, Brodeur is the poster boy for the plowhorse. He is capable of winning 40 games per year for the foreseeable future, and even if that recedes to 30, it adds up quickly if he plays throughout his 30s. With 365 career wins now, he has a wonderful shot at breaking the record. SI.com: What are some of the factors that might have played into the timing of Roy's retirement?
He's also very close to his oldest son, Jonathan, who will play hockey in Quebec this season, and Patrick also has an interest in the Quebec Remparts. Plus, he is getting a $1 million buyout. SI.com: Was the retirement itself a surprise, or was the timing of it such that it might steal some of the hockey spotlight from Broduer and the Cup finals? Farber: His retiring wasn't a surprise, I guess, for most people. For me it was. The way he played in the second half suggested he had another good season in him. Then again, he's been talking about retirement for years, though I still can't believe he's doing this. I do question the timing. I think if Patrick were more innately gracious, he'd have waited until after the Stanley Cup finals. I don't thing it's aimed at Brodeur as such, but their relationship is clearly cool. SI.com: Without Roy, whom do the Avalanche turn to in goal? Farber: They have David Aebischer and Phil Sauve in the system, but this is still a first-class team that needs a first-class goalie. Nikolai Khabibulin's future is uncertain in Tampa Bay, and the baffling Roman Cechmanek is available. Certainly, teams are better off grooming their own goaltenders, but this doesn’t appear to be the time for that in Colorado. SI.com: And while this decision appears final, Roy has flirted with retirement before, has he not? Farber: Roy and Wayne Gretzky spoke in 2001 regarding Roy's Olympic participation, and Roy said something to the effect of, "I think this is going to be my last year and I want to focus on the Stanley Cup; the Olympics might be too much for me." Now, if they had told him he was guaranteed a spot instead of having to try out with the others, he might have felt differently. And, in fact, before he signed his final contract in Montreal, which I believe was prior to the 1992-93 season, Roy said then that it was his last contract. And that was curious because, according to one of his childhood friends, even as a kid on the playground he wanted to play goal for the Montreal Canadiens. Why he'd say that was his last contract is strange. SI.com: Although, unlike baseball, the Hockey Hall of Fame doesn't require a player to choose a team affiliation upon enshrinement. With which team do you think Roy will be remembered? Farber: I would think with the Canadiens, in the classic CH, rather than that Crayola burgundy-and-blue Avs uniform. Roy was very important in the history of the Canadiens, especially with the premature retirement of Guy Lafleur. There was a small game between French-Canadian icons and the torch was passed to Roy. He was part of that continuity. SI.com: What was it that extracted Roy from that continuity? Farber: There was his famous blowup on Dec. 2, 1995, which started earlier than gametime that Saturday night against the Red Wings. Head coach Mario Tremblay, who was Roy's roommate during his rookie year, had been criticizing Vincent Damphousse for being late and said he was really going to unload on Damphousse once he arrived. Well, when Damphousse was late, Tremblay said nothing, which ticked Roy off. Then, during the game, Tremblay hung Roy out to dry -- at least that's how Patrick saw it. And that was that. A few days later, Roy was traded. But there was a theory that had former managing director Serge Savard still been there, instead of a rookie GM and a rookie head coach, Savard, a laconic guy, could have calmed things down. But Rejean Houle was inexperienced and made the trade, essentially giving Colorado its first Cup. Roy's first game for Colorado was against the Vancouver Canucks, and Pavel Bure beat him three times on breakaways. Roy settled down pretty quickly after that. SI.com: Do hockey fans in Montreal harbor any resentment toward Roy for wanting to leave? Farber: Well, he wanted to be traded, but the story leading to his departure is there all the time. People still talk about that day. In many ways it changed the course of the franchise. The Canadiens haven't had a sniff since, which does not sit lightly with fans. The feeling is that Savard could have worked it out. SI.com: What were some of Roy's nuances? Farber: He was very superstitious, which used to drive everyone crazy. It's amazing that the most scientific goaltender was the most superstitious, never stepping on lines, etc. But there was also a dark side to Patrick. Some will compare and contrast him to Brodeur, but there's always been an edge to Patrick. He kept people on edge, including his teammates. SI.com: Any chance he might return to the NHL as a coach or a player? Farber: As a coach, I don't know. I've never thought of him as one. Would the greatest goaltender in the game want to coach? I don't know. But Glenn Hall did it. Grant Fuhr tried it. And there's Billy Smith. Would Roy want to do it? I don't know that he needs the aggravation. There would be less shocking things in my mind than if he came back, if he were totally healthy that is. SI.com: How do you picture him in retirement? Will he miss the game? Farber: I have trouble picturing him in retirement. He loves to play golf. He plays tennis. He'll be a hockey dad. But I don't think he's a guy who will take to not having hockey, and I don't see him sitting around. I suspect that he will miss the game as much as the game will miss him, which is to say significantly. You're losing a guy who is considered to be the very best. And though it is tough to compare players over different eras, Roy is the dominant guy. Dominik Hasek had better numbers over a stretch. Terry Sawchuk and Plante were remarkably formidable. But if you come down on the side of numbers and how much more difficult it is to win games and Stanley Cups these days, I'm partial to Roy. SI.com: Is that Colorado dressing room less interesting now? Farber: The NHL is less interesting. Sports Illustrated senior writer Michael Farber covers the NHL for the magazine and is a regular contributor to SI.com. |
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||
