Patrick Roy out as Avalanche head coach, VP of hockey operations

After three seasons behind the bench for the Colorado Avalanche, head coach and vice president of hockey operations Patrick Roy has left the organization.

In a release published by PRNewswire, Roy said he’s leaving the Avalanche under good terms and thanks the club for letting him “lead this great team,” but that his vision did not align with that of the organization.

“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,” Roy said. “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.”

Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic said in a release that Roy informed him of his decision Thursday and the team immediately conduct a search for its next head coach.

“We appreciate all (Roy) has done for our organization and wish him the best of luck in the future,” Sakic said.

Roy earned the Jack Adams Award in 2014, given to the NHL’s top coach, during his first year as Colorado’s head coach.

The team finished first in the Central Division that year, but results waned in the following two years, when the Avalanche finished seventh and sixth in division with a total winning percentage just north of .500.

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