Patrick Roy was the first wave of the new breed of goalies that helped establish Quebec as the dominant training ground for that position. Confident and quirky, he developed a style that began with Tony Esposito and ended with Dominik Hasek, one that has seen him become the winningest goalie of all time.

Roy's career began with the Granby Bisons in the QMJHL, the worst team in a league that stressed offense. He was drafted 51st overall by the Montreal Canadiens at the 1984 NHL Entry Draft, a team he hated as a child growing up in a suburb of the Habs' most dreaded foes, the Quebec Nordiques. In 1984-85, his final year with the Bisons, he was called up by the Canadiens, ostensibly to sit on the end of the bench for a few games and take in the action. But on February 23, 1985 he replaced starter Doug Soetaert. The score was tied 4-4 to start the third period when Roy went in, and the Habs won the game 6-4 to give him his first win in his first game, after just 20 minutes of play.

After the game, Roy was sent to Sherbrooke to observe how the minor pro game was played. The junior Canadiens had two goalies and he did not think he would play at all. But again, fortune smiled on him, and the one night he was the backup the starter had equipment troubles early in the game. He left, Patrick came in and played well, and the starter never played another game the rest of the season. In the AHL playoffs, he established what was to be his finest attribute, the ability to play under pressure. He led the team to a Calder Cup victory, and the next fall he was at Montreal's training camp looking to join the famed Habs full time.

In his rookie season of 1985-86 he played 47 games and became the starter when the playoffs arrived. By that point in the season, he could not be beaten. Montreal won an improbable Stanley Cup and Roy was named winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy for his outstanding play.

Roy's heroics in the 1986 playoffs were celebrated all over Montreal. He was dubbed Saint Patrick for his play, but now he was expected to keep up this high quality even though the team around him was not that good. In ensuing years, he won 30 games with consistency, but it was not until 1993 that he was able to win another Cup for Montreal, with a team equally inferior to the one that won in 1986. Again, he won the Conn Smythe for his remarkable play on a team that finished with a regular season record of 40-33-7.

Roy's life changed on December 2, 1995. At home to face the Red Wings, Montreal played the worst home game in franchise history, losing 12-1. Roy was kept in goal by coach Mario Tremblay for the first nine goals, and when he was finally pulled midway through the second period, he told team president Ronald Corey that he had played his last game for the Habs. Corey was forced to trade him to Colorado and a new era in the Roy history book was underway. He was joining a top-flight team and within weeks he was holding the Stanley Cup in his new Avalanche colors.

A member of Canada's Olympic team in 1998, Roy has played in nine All-Star games and has won three Vezina Trophies, and early in the 2000-01 season he passed Terry Sawchuk in career wins with a total of 447, a number most fans thought was untouchable when he retired. In the 2001 Roy was at his best once again leading the Avalanche to its second Stanley Cup in franchise history and Roy's fourth along with his third Conn Smythe Trophy.

Aside from the Stanley Cups, the Vezina Trophies and the Conn Smythe Trophies, Roy has captured five William M. Jennings Trophies and during the 2002-03 season became the first goaltender to play in 1,000 NHL games. On May 28th, 2003 Patrick Roy retired from competitive hockey.

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