I'll state it right upfront - I have previously not been in favor of Patrick Roy's jersey number being retired during the Canadiens centennial season.Absolutely nothing to do with his accomplishments in a Canadiens sweater.
St. Patrick's number 33 deserves the heavenly hoist up to the Bell Centre rafters, without argument.
My take, and my own I will admit, WAS that in this centennial season, such an honour should not come clouded in controversy.
It's high time we all skate around that controversy!
This season, after all, is about celebration, and plunging the depths of Roy's past doings, have little to do with the fact that without "Casseau", the Habs might well be staring down a 28 year Cup drought.
It is strongly suggested that we all remember the goalie we were absolutely in love with in 1986 and 1993, and many moments in between.
His faults and shortcomings - and he would readily admit to having many - are secondary for good, for now.
I will not get into them - it has been done to death!
Let me put it this way. There is a bible quotation that suggests a very sane method of proceeding through criticism. I do not know what it has to do with, as I do read the bible. But one does not have to, to get the gist of it.
"Let he, who has never sinned, cast the first stone."
Now go ahead and drill that rock, high and hard!
Aim for the head, the top corner!
St. Patrick, stops it....and we're headed for overtime!
I was a Canadiens fan well before Patrick Roy came on the scene. Many of us here came on board the Habs bandwagon because of Roy's heroics.Us oldtimers. You newer converts to the Canadiens ways.
This is where we meet. This is why we meet.
It is Patrick Roy's doing that we are all here now.
Us oldtimers, we have our legends and favorites - enough in the CH to last us a lifetime or more.
Our Habs fan offspring has St. Patrick - point blank.
Yeah, he might have been an arrogant ass at times, putting winning ahead of every common moral and public opinion. He's as egotistical as they get, pompous, and sometimes outright belligerent.
So what?
He stopped pucks under pressure better than anyone of his time, and this honour being bestowed upon him is no "Chamber Of Commerce - Citizen Of The Year" award. It's a reckoning for deeds done well on a hockey rink.
For us oldtimers, and you younger kids cheering the team on today, our bridge is Patrick Roy.
It is he who allowed to come together, and remain together.
That something to celebrate, damnit!
Especially this season.
.
11 comments:
Robert,
I am a big fan of your site and constant HiO addict.
This post about Roy was bang on, so right that I had to post and say so. I did indeed jump on the bandwagon in 86, along with an entire generation of currnet Habs fans. You are right, it was Roy that bridged the years and enlightened us all to the greatness of Les Glorieux.
Ever since then, I have always beleived that a pompus french-canadian goalie is the key to a Stanley Cup.
Thanks for all your posts, keep up the good work.
Klondike Habs Fan
Thanks Klondike, I truly feel Roy has bonded generations.
I didn't quite get that at first. Credit a pair of bloggers named JT and TC for bringing me around.
Sometimes, I spend too much time in the Habs past.
Will you be teary eyes like me on the night....
Robert,
I must say you converted me - I didn't think Roy deserved the honour of a jersey retirement no matter what he did in his Habs career because of how he left - until I read your post. In frame of reference you use, I have to admit I agree with you and will cheer for him as his sweater his raised to join its place with the other greats.
It pleases me that you say that!
I honestly had a hard time wrapping my mind around the idea, truthfully.
I guess in comes down to what he left on the ice...and in our hearts.
Thanks Oleg, for passing by to leave that thought. I truly helped make my day!
CHeers, to you!
Glad to see you come aboard Robert :)
I am biased, being that I named my son Patrick Roy, and have always wanted to be at his jersey retirement. If the rumoured date is true I will be able to be there as I will be in town for the Grey Cup that weekend.
I am sure it will cost me big $$, but it will be worth it!
No questions he deserves it as much as the rest. If it wasn't for that doorknob behind the bench we might of had a few more.
Long live Patrick!
#33
I'm already getting chills thinking about the waves of ovations that will threaten to lift to roof off of the Bell one night in the not so distant future.
Without Roy we are possibly the min-leafs, and that would just not do. Us fans owe him for the contribution he mad for the organization, the older ones for allowing them to maintain their pride, and the younger ones for allowing them to feel a connection with the glory days of old.
His amazing play after appendicitis in the playoffs versus Boston showed his commitment to the team and the overtime heroics of 93 are a story unto themselves, a footnote in the history of the game.
Retire his number....33........It fits.
The Teacher
This post pretty much echoes my thoughts on the subject when it first came up a couple of weeks back. It's kind of distasteful in a sense, but Patrick Roy is controversy. You're never going to avoid it, so you might as well embrace it.
And while I have steeped myself in the Habs' history and mythology over the years, I was born in '86, so my crystallized Habs memories are of '93, overtime upon overtime, and the final victory in the Forum.
I've seen 'Casseau' used in reference to Roy a few times but don't know where it came from nor the meaning or context it is being used in. Do you know any stories about the 'Casseau' reference?
Larry
"Casseau" is a french word meaning french fry container, which was pretty much rookie Roy's diet in 1986.
Two words stand out in your article, controversy and bridge. Nicely worded once again.
He deserves it although you won't see any teary eye nor applause from me. A fantastic athlete and a true winner he was.
How can they ignore Toe Blake who has done so much for this team is a sacrilege.
Post a Comment