Montreal Canadians retire Patrick Roy’s #33

Over a decade removed from Hall of Fame goaltender Patrick Roy’ acrimonious departure from Montreal, the team gave him their highest honor on Saturday night by retiring his iconic #33.  In front of an adoring and noisy sellout crowd at the Bell Centre, Roy mended fences with his former team stating in his remarks that "Tonight, I am coming home."   His sweater number will now hang from the rafters alongside numerous hockey legends.

When the Canadians lifted Roy’s #33 into the Bell Centre rafters, the company he joined was staggering—basically representing a “who’s who” in NHL history:  Jacques Plante (1), Doug Harvey (2), Jean Beliveau (4), Bernie Geoffrion (5), Howie Morenz (7), Maurice Richard (9), Guy Lafleur (10), Yvan Cournoyer and Dickie Moore (12), Henri Richard (16), Serge Savard (18), Larry Robinson (19), Bob Gainey (23) and Ken Dryden (29).  

Roy’s career numbers definitely merit the honor.  He played over ten seasons in Montreal, with the Habs winning the Stanley Cup twice during his tenure.  Both Cup victories were led by Roy, who twice won the Conn Smythe trophy for playoff MVP as a Canadian (he’d add another trophy and two more Stanley Cups while in Colorado).   He won the 1986 Cup at the age of 20 and became the youngest playoff MVP in history.  For his 2nd Montreal Cup victory in 1993, he set another NHL record with ten consecutive OT playoff victories.

His career stats are equally as impressive.  In over 1000 regular season games his career goals-against average is a tidy 2.54 with 66 shutouts.  Not surprisingly, his stats are even better in the playoffs--in 247 career playoff games his goals against average dropped to 2.30 with 23 shutouts.  Most significantly, he displayed the toughness and heart of a professional prizefighter—a common trait among the NHL elite.  When asked at his retirement press conference which player he “feared the most” during his lengthy NHL career he immediately responded that “he feared no one” when on the ice.

In his gracious comments accepting the Habs honor, Roy reminisced about his rookie year in Montreal and the high expectations that came with wearing the “bleu, blanc et rouge” remarking that  “Still a teenager, I was entering the NHL through the doors of its most prestigious shrine”.  Later in his comments he credited the high expectations of the franchise—and their demanding fans—with making him aspire to greatness: 

"Thank you especially to you, the fans, for being demanding, for expecting me to play every game like it was my last.”