In a stunning mid-August shake-up, Patrick Roy stepped down as coach and vice president of hockey operations for the Colorado Avalanche, citing disagreements with the organization.
Roy made the announcement Thursday through a public relations agency, two months before the start of the NHL regular season.
"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 in a statement. "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."
Roy has split control with Joe Sakic, executive vice president and general manager and a former teammate.
"We appreciate all he has done for our organization," Sakic said in a statement.
Roy helped the Avalanche reach two Stanley Cups as a Hall of Fame goalie. Colorado made the playoffs in Roy's first year behind the bench and missed the past two. Colorado went 130-92-24 under Roy, who won the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year in 2013-14.
NBA
James, Cavs strike $100 million deal
LeBron James agreed to a three-year, $100 million contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers, a person familiar with the contract said.
James, who recently led the Cavs to an NBA title, had indicated he intended to re-sign with Cleveland, but he was expected to accept the same one-year deal he signed in each of his two previous seasons.
