Patrice Cormier Suspended Indefinitely By QMJHL

((HT: TSN))

This is really disappointing on a few different levels. And it gives those tree-hugging, hippy, weirdo nutbags that want all the physical play out of hockey more ammunition for their cause.

Take you back to Sunday, Patrice Cormier (who was one of Team Canada's heroes- and team captain- from the recently completed World Juniors) decides to go elbows-up to the Quebec Remparts Mikael Tam. Cormier pops Tam flush, and he was out on the way down. Tam was taken to hospital for brain scans and such. It's reported that he lost a couple of teeth, but thankfully, he checked out this evening.

Cormier was suspended indefinitely by the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, and the only thing keeping a timetable on it is that the powers-that-are were in transit to other events.

Remparts boss Patrick Roy isn't going to take this one lying down:

"One thing I didn't like was the way he left the ice," Roy said. "He didn't show that he felt sorry for what he did, he was arguing with the referee, and when he was asked to leave the ice, he was looking at our bench."

A police spokesperson says criminal charges are being looked in to...

Here's the report by Rod Smith from our friends at TSN...
The video ain't pretty...
((HT: TSN))

BREAKING NEWS: Avs Clear House

OSG has learned the the Colorado Avalanche have fired head coach Tony Granato and 5 others in the organization. Those 5 are assistant coaches Jacques Cloutier and Dave Barr, goaltending coach Jeff Hackett, assistant to the general manager Michel Goulet and video coordinator P.J. DeLuca.

"I was preparing all summer, trying to get ready to do the things we needed to do for next season," Granato told the Denver Post Wednesday morning. "You never want to get a call like you got today, but you also understand it's the nature of the business"

"I enjoyed my seven years in the organization, very thankful for the opportunity (team president) Pierre Lacroix gave me. Obviously, I'm disappointed it didn't go better in the last year."

Granato must have saw this coming weeks ago since the Avs were courting legendary goaltender Patrick Roy to be their coach, for which Roy turned down.

The Avs have promoted Greg Sherman to general manager who for the past seven years has been the team's assistant general manager.

Photo Courtesy: John Leyba/Denver Post

Patty Says "No"!

In a bit of a surprise, Patrick Roy, former all-world goaltender has said "No" to coaching and being the General Manager for the Colorado Avalanche. The rumors of Roy being offered the job(s) have been circulating for the past week or so, though nobody had actually confirmed that there was a job offered, at least the coaching one...until today.

((Patrick Roy/Courtesy: Ryan Remiorz/Canadian Press))
The story was broken this morning by the Denver Post here .

The ironic part of this is that the Avalanche haven't fired coach Tony Granato, yet...though they did fire the GM Francois Giguere last month. Roy, a goalie during the glory years for the 'lanche spoke of family reasons as to why he decided to say no. A press conference was scheduled for later

However, the Calgary Herald speculates here that Roy may actually be holding out for a job with his "other" former team, the Montreal Canadiens. That job, which is kind of like managing the New York Yankees wouldn't be easy for a newbie to Professional Coaching, but the Herald speculates that Roy, wanting to not have to rebuild a team...would have a ready made contender should he end up in Montreal. Stay Tuned...this should be interesting.

((Patrick Roy with Canadiens//Courtesy: Camwest News Services File))

Double Duty For Saint Patrick...?

((HT: TSN/CP))

Patrick Roy ((pictured, thanks Brian Bahr/Getty)) could be head coach and general manager of the Colorado Avalanche if he accepts the posts from his former club.

According to Ruefrontenac.com - a Montreal-based news website - Avs president Pierre Lacroix has offered Roy both jobs and that Roy wants to hire former teammate Sylvain Lefebvre and Drummondville head coach Guy Boucher as his assistants.

The GM posting became vacant after Lacroix fired Francois Giguere last month and Tony Granato is still the team's head coach.

The Montreal report added that Craig Billington - the Avs' vice president of hockey operations and Roy's former backup, could serve as a co-general manager.

The Denver Post reported last week that the Avalanche offered Roy the coaching job, and added there was a possibility he might get the vacant general manager's job as well.

Ruefrontenac.com also reports that Lacroix is offering Roy almost full control over the club's hockey operations as a way of trumping any potential offer from his other former team - the Montreal Canadiens.

Since retiring in 2003, Roy has been part owner and head coach of the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, winning a Memorial Cup title in 2006.

All the above story does is give us an excuse to show this again...

From The Rafters!!!

Here are the highlights of your weekend's National Hockey League jersey-raising moments...

First- Patrick Roy's Ceremony in Montreal... after years of acrimony ((that's a fancy word for not liking one another...)) both sides buried the hatchet. He came home for one hell of a night...

Dick Irvin is your MC ((HT: CBC/NHL/the youtube))
Here's Part One...


Part 2 is in black... Part 3 is also in black...

And the Toronto Maple Leafs Wendel Clark had the same event happen at the Post Office in downtown Toronto. You gotta give the CBC credit running both for an entire country.

Simultaneously...
((Once again, HT: CBC/NHL/the youtube))


Two of the toughest get their nights...