Patrick Roy is an ex pro ice hockey coach and goaltender. He was one of the best players for the Colorado Avalanche hockey team of NHL. He is known for his nickname “Saint Patrick”.

Early years

He was born as Patrick Jacques Roy on October 5, 1965 in Quebec City which us the capital Quebec province in Canada.

His mother’s name is Barbara (born Miller) and his father is Michel Roy. Both of his parents love sports and were athletes in their youth.

He was only seven years old when he started to show passion for ice hockey, especially on the position of goaltender.

He joined a local ice-hockey team called Sainte-Foy gouvernewrs but his professional career started when he joined AHL (American Hockey League). He became a valuable player for the Sherbrooke Canadiens.

Career development

He was drafted in 1984 NHL Draft by the Montreal Canadiens but he wasn’t satisfied with this because he was a huge fan of the clubs biggest rivals, the Quebec Nordiques.

Before coming to Montreal Canadiens he eas a player for the Granby Brisons, a Junior Hockey League from Quebec.

After only one game he was traded to Sherbrooke canadiens in AHL where he showed his great talent and became their starting goaltender. He helped the team to win a Calder Cup Championship.

In the season 1986/1987 he became a standard player for Canadiens. He led his team to a win on the Stanley Cup (which was unexpected). That is how he gained the Conn Smythe Trophy: he was named as the Most Valuable Player in the Cup.

After this win he gained his nickname St. Patrick and it stayed with him forever.

He won several trophys in 1987, 1988 and 1989 as a great goaltender. He had a huge fan base.

He also received the Vezina Trophy in 1990. He joined the NHL All-star Team the same year.

In 1991/92 season his team won the Adams Division and he was again selected for the NHL All-star Team.

In 1993 playoffs there were a lot of comments about Roy leaving the team which made him angry and his game got improved. He won the next four games. He led his team to the Stanley Cup again. He received the Conn Smythe Trophy.

After an incident during the game against Detroit Red Wings, he was suspended. He was traded to Colorado Avalanche.

He became a very important player for his new team. His team suceeded to beat Chicago Blackhawks and win the Stanley Cup in 1996.

In 2000 he was awarded with the President’s Trophy and the same year the team won their 2nd Stanley Cup.

He finally retired in 2003, but still remained in the hockey circles.

In 1998 he was one of the team members on Winter Olympics in Nagano and in 2002 he was asked to join the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City but he declined the offer.

After the retirement as a goaltender he became the vice-president of hockey operations for the Quebec Remparts team. In 2005 he was named as their head coach.

In 2012 he became a member of L’Antrchambre, a hockey talk show where he worked as an analyst.

The next year he became the head coach of Colorado Avalanche. He was on that position until 2016.

Personal life

He had a wife Michele whom he married in 1990. They have three kids together: Jonathan, Jana and Frederick.

Frederick and Jonathan were also hockey playery but Jonathan left hockey to try himself in a music career.

Michele and Roy often fought and the finally divorced in 2003. His wife Michelle accused him for domestic violence but he was freed from all charges in court. He hasn’t married since.

Roy is a philantropist and his biggest contributions were for the Ronald McDonald House, an organization which improves health and everyday life of children.

He was superstitious: his skates never touched the blue/red lines on the ice. He always stepped over them. That wasn’t his only superstition.

Quick summary

Full name: Patrick Jacques Roy

Date of birth: October 5, 1965

Birthplace:  Quebec City, Quebec, Canada

Age: 53

Profession: ice hockey coach, former goaltender

Height: 188 cm

Weight: 86 kgs

Net Worth: $30 million