Patrick Roy expelled from a junior hockey game after a heated argument with the referee
Patrick Roy lived up to his old tricks on Saturday night – not by being a legendary goalie, but by warming up behind the bench.
During the QMJHL pre-season, the Quebec Remparts coach was ejected from a game against the Shawinigan Cataractes after having an argument with the officials in the first period. While it’s not uncommon for coaches to be kicked out for arguing a little too much, that kicking out had historical context.
In a playoff series against the Cataractes earlier this year, Roy disagreed with some key referee decisions. So when the Quebec coach noticed that it was the same referee who was officiating this preseason match, he felt he was already at a disadvantage.
“As I’ve told my players, I don’t feel like I’m getting the same treatment as other coaches in the league,” Roy said. “That’s why I try to talk as little as possible during games. I found it funny that the league pitted us against Shawinigan in an exhibition game. They lacked tact.”
Roy is known for his viral moments as head coach of the Remparts and formerly of the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche, including when he knocked down a post while yelling at Bruce Boudreau. By all accounts, the Hall of Famer is trying to tone down these outbursts and calm down, but sometimes it’s just too hard for him not to say something.
“Maybe it’s me who’s going to have to do a mea culpa, look in the mirror and figure out a way to digest it,” Roy said. “It was good until then, but when I saw them on the ice, I had a hard time understanding, maybe I didn’t have the right attitude when I left, maybe I would have had to put that aside, but that’s not the kind of person I am.
“In my good years, the pole carrier would have flown backwards. Today I try to stay more calm. I’ll have to get over it. Maybe it will have felt good, which happened spent tonight.”
No baby. Getting kicked out of a preseason game is definitely better than throwing equipment on the ice in protest.
The Remparts will be looking to build on a 2021-22 season that saw them finish with the most points in the league when the new campaign kicks off on September 23.
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