When the Colorado Avalanche hired NHL legend Patrick Roy as their new head coach over the offseason, they hoped he would return passion for the game and a winning tradition to a franchise that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2009.
Only one game into the 2013-14 season, Roy has achieved both.
The Avalanche blew out Bruce Boudreau‘s Anaheim Ducks 6-1 on Wednesday night in a game in which first-overall pick Nathan MacKinnon scored his first NHL point. In the closing seconds of the third period, MacKinnon was in the thick of things again when Anaheim defenseman Ben Lovejoy appeared to throw a leg check at the Avalanche rookie.
Roy was none too pleased at the “cheap shot,” as he called it, and as soon as the game ended, he let Boudreau know it. The two coaches started jawing at each other through the glass partition that separated the benches, but even that wasn’t enough to stop Roy. The Avalanche bench boss pushed the partition twice toward Boudreau, all the while voicing his strong displeasure.
Boudreau called the incident “bush league,” but Roy has always been known for his unorthodox style. It doesn’t look like he’s lost much in the transition to coaching.
Check out the video below for Roy’s outburst.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxW_n8keVPg&w=640&h=360]
