Patrick Roy Resigns as Avalanche Head Coach, VP of Hockey Operations

Patrick Roy, the head coach and vice president of hockey operations for the Colorado Avalanche, released a statement Thursday announcing he would be stepping down. 

Roy's full statement is below, per Sportsnet's Scott Lewis:

"

For the past three years, I have carried out my duties as Head Coach and Vice President of Hockey Operations for the Colorado Avalanche with energy, passion and determination. I have thought long and hard over the course of the summer about how I might improve this team to give it the depth it needs and bring it to a higher level. To achieve this, the vision of the coach and VP-Hockey Operations needs to be perfectly aligned with that of the organization. He must also have a say in the decisions that impact the team's performance. These conditions are not currently met. Today, I am informing you of my decision to leave the Colorado Avalanche organization. Though it saddens me, I have put much thought about this decision in recent weeks and have come to be fully comfortable with it. I am grateful to the Colorado Avalanche organization, with which I remain in good terms, for letting me lead this great team. I thank all the players I have had the pleasure of coaching and the fans for their unwavering, unconditional support. I remain forever loyal to the Avalanche with which I played 478 games, coached another 253, and won two Stanley Cups.

"

Roy spent three seasons as the head coach and VP of hockey operations, going 130-92-24 and winning the Jack Adams Award winner as the NHL’s best coach in 2014. The Avalanche failed to reach the postseason the past two years, however.

Speculation will follow as to why Roy decided to step down—and perhaps more importantly, why he decided to step down in August, two months before the start of the regular season—though Frank Seravalli of TSN wasn't terribly surprised by Roy's decision:

Indeed, Ray Ferraro of TSN was only caught off-guard by Roy's decision to depart in August:

As Roy noted, however, his vision for the organization didn't match what others in the building wanted. Specifically, Mike Chambers of the Denver Post suspected that this year's NHL draft played a major role in Roy's decision to depart:

Now, questions will linger regarding where the Avs will turn for their next head coach. Certainly, having just two months to install a new system and work with the players will be a tall task for whomever takes the job.

Additionally, Roy's next move will be closely scrutinized. Greg Wyshynski of Puck Daddy suspects Roy could be headed back to a familiar organization:

That would certainly be a fascinating jump for Roy, who started his Hall of Fame playing career with the Montreal Canadiens before he was traded to the Avalanche. Regardless of his next move, Roy has now left the Avalanche in a precarious position before the 2016-17 season.

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