Remparts: the time when Patrick Roy “coached” Angelo Esposito … even while eating his steak

Whether as a player, assistant or friend, rubbing shoulders with Patrick Roy doesn’t seem to be boring. Several of them told the Log their best stories about the legendary number 33.

• Read also: Patrick Roy told by Jonathan Marchessault, Bob Hartley, Anthony Duclair, Angelo Esposito and many others

• Read also: Remparts: the touching relationship between Patrick Roy and Bob Hartley

A punishment worthy ofMiracle on Ice»

“There were tough times, but looking back, I find it funny. We had just played in Quebec against Bathurst at home and we lost. When we got back to the locker room, Patrick said, “Don’t get undressed, we’re going back on the ice!” He made us do some mountains [aller-retour] until I don’t know what time. The guys were no longer able to move and some had to be pushed to keep them going. Me, I was just trying not to lose consciousness on the ice! Today, we can laugh about it, but in the past, it was less funny! All the guys on this team still remember that moment when we talk about it. Did we deserve this? Surely… You will ask him!”

• Marc-Édouard Vlasic, who was managed by Patrick Roy in 2005-2006

When Radulov wanted to go out incognito

“In our early years, you had to watch a few players sometimes. This was the case of Alexander Radulov. We arrived in Moncton one evening and we knew that he had strong ties with one of the Wildcats players, who was also Russian. People at the hotel had been warned: “If you ever see any players leaving the hotel, let us know.” It wasn’t long before I got a call… I said, “Pat, I think we have a guy who just left!” We went to see the surveillance cameras and we saw Radulov stick his head out in the hallway, look for people, then leave the hotel. He had called him on his cell phone to tell him: “Hey, Radu, we are waiting for you in the lobby, you will come back as soon as possible.” He had come back quickly, completely lost. We laughed about it.”

• Martin Laperrière, assistant to Patrick Roy from 2005 to 2013 and from 2018 to 2020

Passionate, even when he eats his steak

“Every winter, I stayed with Pat for a bit at his house, because my boarding family was in Mexico. There were his sons, Radu [Alexander Radulov] also was there a year. We were a gang of young people. But one night, we were having dinner together, just him and me, and we were watching a hockey game. A player beat a defender and charged into the net. It was quiet and Patrick stood up shouting, “See, this is how you have to do it. You go to the net!” I was eating my steak and I looked at him and said, “yes, yes, yes.” It was always on.”

“Also, in the evening, when we were losing and we hadn’t played well, I would hurry home and go to my room. I was waiting for him to go to bed to go to the kitchen and cook for me, because he was not happy when we lost!”

• Angelo Esposito, who played for Patrick Roy from 2005 to 2008

More dedicated than professional trainers

“I knew he was passionate, but not to that extent. The little details, the time he spends in front of a screen watching videos. It’s impressive. I’ve worked with coaches at the professional level who don’t even do half of that. He does it at the junior level.

• Simon Gagné, assistant to Patrick Roy since 2022

On the phone with his former coach for advice

“But even though he’s this confident, he’s never shy about taking advice, asking a question or asking me if I see something. When I told her I’d be in the third game [de la série contre les Olympiques de Gatineau, cette année], he said to me: “If you see something, tell me.” The next morning, I texted him to congratulate him and “boom!”. We were on the phone. I think he does that with a lot of people, because he wants to have different perspectives. I also believe in that, because it’s a game that is played so quickly. Once you’re in, you’re so close to the action that you might miss things.”

• Bob Hartley, coach of Patrick Roy at the Avalanche

– With the collaboration of Stéphane Cadorette and Kevin Dubé