Montreal Canadiens: Breaking down best angle for a 3-part documentary

The Montreal Canadiens fiasco with Patrick Roy would be one of the most fascinating documentaries ever, as there was a lot of interesting drama there.

With extremely limited options for live sports, sports fans have been desperate for content during the novel coronavirus pandemic. Recently, ESPN has released The Last Dance, a documentary about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. This got me thinking, which team deserves a documentary like that? The obvious answer is the Montreal Canadiens. They’re the NHL’s most famous franchise, after all.

But what should it be about? You could do anything number of things. Something on Ken Dryden, who might be the most fascinating character in NHL history, would be enlightening and something I personally would love to watch. However, if you want something riveting and entertaining, the obvious choice is the Patrick Roy saga.

For those who don’t know, Roy is one of the greatest goalies in Canadiens history. And considering the goalies they’ve had over the years, that’s quite the compliment. Roy led the Canadiens to two Stanley Cups in 1986 and 1993, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the postseason each time.

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He also won three Vezina Trophies with the Canadiens (the most of any Habs goalie since the Vezina started being voted on in 1981), as well as four William B. Jennings Trophies for allowing the fewest goals in the NHL. All looked well until December 2, 1995, when Roy demanded a trade from the Canadiens due to a feud with head coach Mario Tremblay.

Part One

Part one of the documentary that would be done in three parts would be the most interesting. It could talk about everything that led up to Roy demanding a trade. He didn’t just decide to request a trade solely because he had a horrible game. There’s got to be a lot more to it. It’s not a secret Roy and Tremblay didn’t get along. But I’d like to know more. What happened that made Roy want to leave Montreal?

Part Two

The second part of the documentary could talk about the trade itself and perhaps the short-term effects of it. Roy and the Canadiens barely acknowledged the other existed for years. There was a lot of hate harbored on both sides and it took them a while to make amends.

Roy went on to lead the Colorado Avalanche to two Stanley Cups and he became the first player in NHL history to win three Conn Smythe Trophies. What’s more impressive is he won each of his three Conn Smythes in different decades and he managed to do it on two different teams.

Meanwhile, the Canadiens took a huge step back. They were never the same after the Roy trade. Roy was the kind of goalie who gave them a fighting chance to win any game on any given night. He was that darn good. Losing Roy put a huge dent in the Canadiens and it led to a lot of people getting fired, including Tremblay.

Part Three

Let’s face it, we’re all suckers for a good sob story. Part three would give us that, as it would talk about how the Canadiens and Roy repaired their relationship. It wasn’t until 2008 that they finally buried the hatchet, as that’s when the Canadiens decided to retire Roy’s number 33.

Next. 5 Worst Coaches In Canadiens History. dark

The Roy saga is one of the most fascinating storylines in not just the history of the Montreal Canadiens, but also the history of the NHL.

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