November 22, 2001
Games over for Roy
Goaltender won't play for Canada at Olympics
By AL STRACHAN -- Toronto Sun
In a shocking development for Canada's Olympic hockey team, Patrick Roy, the odds-on favourite to be the first-string goaltender, announced yesterday that he will not participate.
Although he waited until after last night's game between his Colorado Avalanche and the New York Islanders to announce the decision, Roy called the team's executive director, Wayne Gretzky, at his home in Los Angeles yesterday morning.
Roy told him that he would not be a part of the squad in Salt Lake City in February.
"He was open and honest and direct with me," Gretzky said last night. "He said he wanted to rest."
Roy was not only the starting goalie in the 1998 Olympics in Nagano, he played every minute. He had a 4-2 record with a 1.46 goals-against average.
But this time around, Roy, who had been the consensus pick to be the No. 1 goalie again, has decided that his commitment to the Colorado Avalanche comes first and that a two-week rest would be more advantageous than the Olympic grind.
Stories to that effect had been circulating, and last night Roy confirmed them. "It's no longer a rumour," Roy said after watching the Avs' latest loss from the bench.
"My reasons are simple. I wanted to take the time to prepare myself to have a good playoff and finish the season strong."
Roy is now 36 and if the Avs make another run at the Stanley Cup, he'll have played a lot of hockey by the time the playoffs roll around.
The Stanley Cup run dragged on to the seventh game of the final last season, and this season, because of the Olympics, the playoffs might not finish until June 20.
The Avs are paying Roy $8.5 million US to do the job in goal for them -- about $8.5 million US more than he'll get from Team Canada.
As a result of Roy's withdrawal, the Olympic goaltending job is now wide open with Curtis Joseph, Ed Belfour, Martin Brodeur, Sean Burke and Roberto Luongo being considered for the three openings.
"I respect his decision," Gretzky said. "Obviously, he was one of the goalies that we were looking at, but the other three goalies we had in camp are very capable as well.
"He showed a lot of class. He showed up in Calgary and he participated and worked hard. He played in the Olympics once and it's his decision that he doesn't want to do it this time. I can accept that."
Roy's announcement caught Joseph and Pat Quinn, the coach of Team Canada, off guard.
"Whatever decision Patrick makes, he deserves it," Joseph told The Toronto Sun's Mike Zeisberger last night. "He has nothing more to prove to anyone. Who are we to judge his decision?"
Joseph would not say whether he now has a better opportunity to become No. 1.
"The Olympics are very important to me," he said. "But my mind-set is to not look ahead to the Olympic team. Right now I'm here to win games for the Leafs."
Quinn seemed more surprised than Joseph at Roy's decision, saying, "I just this minute was informed of (Roy's) decision" and adding that he wished it wasn't the case.
By making the decision now, rather than after the 23-man roster had been named, Roy minimized the impact of his departure.
Even though he has an excellent record in big games, the Canadians' goaltending is not expected to suffer in his absence.
"When you look at the quality of the goaltending that there is, I have no doubt in my mind they'll do really well," Roy said.
"They'll be fine and they'll have great goaltending."
Roy denied speculation that he did not want to subject himself to a qualification-round battle to earn the job.
"It would not matter to me to be No. 1 or No. 2," he said.
2002 Games Men's Hockey Coverage
