Patrick Roy to have jersey retired by Canadiens, Nov. 22, 2008

By Joel
in The Sporting Arena

 Share

Recommended Posts

Grand Master

Joel

Posted
Posted
MONTREAL - While it had been almost 13 years since he left the Canadiens, Patrick Roy's return to the Habs family made one thing clear: the former goaltending great is still king in Montreal.

Die-hard Habs fans will always remember where they were when Roy was traded on December 6, 1995. Following the Canadiens' announcement that his No. 33 will be retired this season, those same fans will now get to cherish the day he will join the ranks of Habs immortals on November 22, 2008.

?When I recently had lunch with Pierre Boivin and Bob Gainey about this possibility, I was blown away with how they welcomed me,? explained Roy. ?What struck me most was how the sense of family I was so used to with the Canadiens not only still exists, but is stronger than ever. And to be a part of it again means a lot to me. This is a great day and November 22 will be even better.?

After slipping on his familiar No. 33 Canadiens jersey, Roy looked like he?d stepped out of a silver Delorian straight from 1985, and was loving every minute of it.

?This feels pretty good,? chirped Roy as he looked down at the Canadiens? logo he wore for 551 regular season games now back on his chest. ?It?s been in the back of my mind for a long time. I?ve always wondered whether this day would come. I?m extremely happy to return to the Canadiens? organization. It?s great to be back.?

With all the Stanley Cups and league awards filling his resume, the winningest goalie in NHL history knows his jersey retirement is the icing on the cake.

?When I got the call from Mr. Gillett, he mentioned how this is my home, where everything began for me and that it?s now fitting that this where it all ends,? explained Roy, who will join fellow legends Ken Dryden and Jacques Plante as the only Habs goalies to have their jersey retired. ?I?m so honored to have been selected by the committee and I know their decisions are never easy. After all, the Canadiens have such an incredible tradition and have enjoyed so much success over the years. When you think of the 24 Stanley Cups and 754 players to ever have worn this jersey, you begin to realize what this all really means.?

Pushed to tip his hand as to who would be joining him on the ice for his big night at the Bell Centre in November, Roy could have gone on all day.

?Serge Savard drafted me and made my dream of playing in the NHL come true, Francois Allaire taught me so much as my first goalie coach, and Bob Gainey was the best captain I ever had. The list goes on and on,? said Roy as former teammates Gainey, Guy Carbonneau, Kirk Muller and Roland Melanson looked on in the jam-packed press conference room. ?When I think back to all of those who helped me over the years, there are just too many to count. I would need the entire Bell Centre ice surface to fit everyone who deserves to be there with me.?

The open wound he left behind in 1995 has had time to heal over the years. Roy is hopeful he isn?t the only one eager to see him write a new chapter in his history with the Canadiens.

?I?m not sure if people realize how hard it was for me to leave Montreal, especially the way it all happened,? admitted Roy about his messy final days with the Habs. ?I left a lot of friends behind and this is where I?m from. The time has come to turn the page, as much for me as for the fans.?

With the hockey-rich tradition of the Canadiens still as much a part of Roy?s DNA as ever, the meaning of his return to his original hockey home was not lost on the legendary netminder.

?This is where I became a winner and learned what it takes to be the best,? added Roy. ?I understood early on that a good season in Montreal means only one thing?the Stanley Cup. And I never forgot that.?

Source

This topic is now closed to further replies.
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.

  • Posts

    • The official Funny Pictures thread

      By Steven P. · Posted

    • Celebrating Windows XP's 25th anniversary this year

      By carols23 · Posted

      If I could, I would commemorate it the best way possible: Replacing old machines that are still running Windows XP with something more modern, stable and better.     Noone and nothing should be running Windows XP in 2026.
    • Google's new hand-wave reCAPTCHA can be bypassed with a stock photo

      By Ivan Jenic · Posted

      Google's new hand-wave reCAPTCHA can be bypassed with a stock photo by Ivan Jenic Image: Screenshot Google is testing a new reCAPTCHA method that asks you to wave at your camera to prove you're human. So, besides solving puzzles and reading distorted text, you can now use your computer’s camera to pass the verification test. When the hand gesture verification is triggered, your browser asks for camera access and prompts you to perform a simple gesture, like a wave or an open palm. Google says it records a short video of the movement and uses AI to extract 21 hand-knuckle coordinates to complete the verification process. The video is then immediately deleted, and Google swears it doesn't keep it. The process alone can be uncomfortable for people who wouldn’t want their biometric data, which hand scans technically qualify as, recorded. But it gets even more nuanced, as early testers discovered that the new hand-waving reCAPTCHA can be passed with a simple stock image. A user on X tested the new challenge using a stock image of a hand fed through OBS Virtual Camera, and it passed. I wanted to verify it, so I tried the same thing. It took me a few tries and a few stock images, but in the end, I was also able to pass the test. I simply had to readjust the stock image of a generic person waving inside OBS, and Google’s mechanism registered it as a legitimate hand gesture. Once again, it didn’t even have to be a video or an AI-generated hand animation. Given the simplicity of the process, the entire action can be automated in minutes. All it takes is a simple Python script to render the new reCAPTCHA method obsolete. And it doesn’t even have to be an AI bot, which is usually used for solving puzzles and other verification methods. The new reCAPTCHA method is still in its early phase, and Google will, hopefully, update its AI to at least reject still images. However, this incident, combined with users’ initial skepticism about Google’s practices regarding user data, likely won’t make too many people wave at the camera anytime soon.
    • Why it's almost impossible to produce a smartphone in the United States

      By monterxz · Posted

      🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 "to fund healthcare and tuition" 🤣🤣🤣🤣 Who do you think you are talking about, some COMMUNIST? We are better than them, doG bless Murica!!! p.s. I'm from a country where government does exactly that, i.e. not form US.
    • Microsoft Edge gets tons of security features, including AI model that can see your screen

      By ad47uk · Posted

      Apparently not. I know it is on Edge for business at the moment, but how long will it be before it become on the home version of Edge?

  • Recent Achievements

    • First Post
      carols23 earned a badge
      First Post
    • One Month Later
      Tom Willson earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Apprentice
      Asgardi went up a rank
      Apprentice
    • One Month Later
      sunrisea2milk earned a badge
      One Month Later
    • Week One Done
      sunrisea2milk earned a badge
      Week One Done

  • Popular Contributors

    1. 1
      +primortal
      499
    2. 2
      +Edouard
      256
    3. 3
      PsYcHoKiLLa
      156
    4. 4
      Steven P.
      89
    5. 5
      macoman
      66
    Show More

  • Tell a friend

    Love Neowin? Tell a friend!