NHL: The best goalie from each franchise’s history (Updated 2023)

Best NHL goalie from each franchise: Montreal Canadiens – Patrick Roy

Goalie Patrick Roy joins Marc-Andre Fleury as being featured twice in the same list. Before he won two Stanley Cup championships with the Colorado Avalanche, Roy got his humble beginnings with the Montreal Canadiens.

As a third-round draft pick back in the 1984 NHL Entry Draft for the Canadiens, it was a hopeful answer to their problems at goalie. They didn’t have any consistency or someone that would be a difference-maker protecting the net. The moment the leadership regime heard of how proficient Roy was preparing for his call-up to the NHL, they knew they had someone special on their hands.

Roy stepped in and immediately took care of business and bolstered their goalie situation instantly. It didn’t take long at all for him to earn more starts until he became their full-time goalie and enjoyed many winning seasons and of course, two Stanley Cup championships.

It’s a shame that things transpired the way they did since if Roy stayed on with the Canadiens for the rest of his career, there is no telling how many more championships they could have won together. They had a stellar squad built around Roy but tensions happened behind the scenes between Roy and the coaching staff which encouraged them to trade him away. Thankfully, time heals all and both sides were able to forgive, forget, and embrace Roy for what he meant to the Canadiens.