Suddenly forced to search for a new coach only six weeks before the opening of training camp, Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic on Friday said Patrick Roy’s decision to resign as vice president of hockey operations and head coach earlier in the day caught him by surprise.
Sakic said Roy, his fellow Hockey Hall of Famer and teammate on two Stanley Cup champions with the Avalanche, told him Friday morning, shortly before a Quebec City public relations agency issued a news release on Roy’s behalf. The majority of the release was a statement from Roy, outlining his reasoning, and he said he didn’t believe he had enough input in player personnel decisions, a role that seemed to go with him having a front-office title as well.