Future Hall of Fame goaltender Patrick Roy, whose game seven implosion may have been preventable.

Avalanche coaches 'may have known' about Red Wings blowout

Denver, Col. -- Hockey fans in the mile-high city are calling for the resignation of Colorado Avalanche Head Coach Bob Hartley and General Manager Pierre Lacroia following reports that several team officials "may have known" about the impending poor performance of goalie Patrick Roy prior to the team's decisive loss to the Detroit Red Wings in game seven of the NHL Western Conference Finals.

Allegations made by several sportswriters and radio show hosts suggest that an intoxicated Roy was spotted the night before the game partying at several Detroit-area restaurants and clubs, and in fact appeared to be physically ailing before taking the ice and largely contributing to the team's 7-0 thrashing at the hands of the Red Wings May 31.

It remains unclear, however, exactly which members of the Avalanche coaching staff knew about Roy's alleged condition, or if anything could have been done to prevent the game's disastrous outcome.

"This is bullshit, man. They knew that afternoon that [Roy] was hungover, but they let him start anyway," said Boulder native and Avalanche fan Jess Stevens, reacting to Rocky Mountain Times sportswriter Jim Benton's report that a Denver fan who attended the game spotted Roy at a Detroit Rio Bravo restaurant "drinking margaritas like they were Kool-Aid." Stevens along with around two dozen other angry fans staged a small protest outside the Pepsi Center arena in Denver Monday evening.

In a statement issued to the press June 26, team owner E. Stanley Kroenke contended there was "no indication" Roy was suffering from ill health prior to game time, and that his coaching staff "made the right decision" in letting Roy start the game. Roy was pulled from the crucial game seven at 6:28 of the second period after allowing six Detroit goals, including two in the first four minutes of play.

"Patrick is an all-star goalie, the best in the business, and we stand behind him and our staff one-hundred percent," Kroenke said. "You don't keep a guy like Patrick on the bench just because his stomach is a little upset. All of these rumors about his health and who knew what and when they knew it or if they even knew anything at all are baseless and completely untrue."

Added Kroenke: "Don't you think any staff member capable of preventing this tragedy would have?"

July 2002