DMac, Big Al react to Patrick Roy resigning as Avalanche coach

In a somewhat shocking move, Patrick Roy stepped away as the Colorado Avalanche head coach less than two months until the team kicks off it’s preseason. And the DMac and Big Al did not hold back on their thoughts about Roy’s departure Thursday to open up “The Drive” on 104.3 The Fan.

Roy said in a release he “thought long and hard over the course of the summer” about how he could help the Avs win and settled on resignation, leaving the organization a small window to fill his position behind the bench.

“Patrick Roy had a lot of time to think about this decision before now,” DMac said. “And if you want an arrogant, gutless decision, do what Patrick Roy did today, who didn’t have the nerve or the courage to stand in front of his own players to explain why he was stepping down.

“Gutless.”

Roy cited in the release that his vision and that of the front office did not “perfectly align” as the reason for his departure, though he said he remains in “good terms” with the Avalanche.

Big Al echoed the sentiment, saying that he thought there was a “real disconnect after Patrick Roy’s first year and what should happen and what direction the team should go moving forward.”

“Patrick Roy quitting today feel like he thought that he was going to get either fired at the end of the year for not getting them to where they want to go or they wouldn’t take his advice about what should happen with the Avs going forward,” Big Al said. “It’s got to be one of those two things.”

But in quitting and airing the dirty laundry, Big Al said he’s thinks he’s throwing general manager, and former teammate, Joe Sakic under the bus.

“There is always a window in athletics where coaches are hired and fired. If you’re going to quit, do it in that window so that (they) can fill the position with the most qualified,” Big Al said.

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