Former professional (ice) hockey player, goaltender for the Montreal Canadiens, Colorado Avalanche, and 1998 Canadian Olympic Men's Ice Hockey team. Wore jersey #33. His name is pronounced in the French manner, "R(ou)-wah."
At somewhere around 6'0" to 6'2", Patrick is a large goalie, yet he has great agility and lateral movement. He plays the butterfly style, and loves to make showy stops with his quick glove hand (Patrick catches left). He plays out at the top of the goal crease, covering the angles well and giving up few rebounds. He has a tendency to wander away from the net to play the puck, and is a terrible puck handler, despite seemingly thinking that he's Martin Brodeur (which he ain't).
Patrick taps his goalposts with his stick at the start of each period, and talks to them during the game, especially when they are deflecting pucks out for him. Patrick is careful never to skate over the center red line and the blue lines. He rolls hockey tape around the knob of each goalie stick exactly sixty times, one turn for each minute in a (non-overtime) game, and writes the names of his three children on his stick before each game.
Patrick was born on October 5th, 1965 in Quebec City, Quebec and grew up a fan of the Quebec Nordiques (now the Colorado Avalanche).
Patrick was selected in the 3rd round of the 1984 entry draft by the Montreal Canadiens, with their 4th pick (51st overall). He won the Stanley Cup in Montreal in 1985-86, notching a 1.92 GAA and winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs' Most Valuable Player.
Patrick and teammate Brian Hayward shared the Jennings Trophy in 1986-87, 1987-88 and 1998-89.
Patrick won the Vezina Trophy in 1988-89, 1989-90 and 1991-92. He became known as "Saint Patrick" in Montreal, leading the city's beloved Habs to another Stanley Cup in 1992-93, when an underdog Canadiens team surprised all the pundits with an 10 game string of overtime victories on their march to the Cup. Patrick posted a 2.13 GAA and again claimed the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP.
In the 1995-96 season, Patrick had a terrible game against the Detroit Red Wings and was left in the nets by Montreal coach Mario Tremblay despite asking to be removed. When he was finally pulled, there followed a well-publicised and televised in-game blow-up. Patrick stormed past Tremblay to speak to team president Ronald Corey, sitting a few rows up in the stands. Patrick publicly vowed right then and there never to play another game for the Habs. He was quickly traded (along with winger Mike Keane) to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for young goaltender Jocelyn Thibault, winger Martin Rucinsky and spare part Andrei Kovalenko on December 6th, 1995. Six months later the Colorado Avalanche were skating around the ice with the Stanley Cup. In 2000-01, Patrick passed Terry Sawchuk as the NHL's all-time leader in wins.
Patrick and the Avs won the cup again in 2001, and Patrick took home the Conn Smythe Trophy for a third time.
Roy won the Stanley Cup four times: two each with Montreal and Colorado. He is the only player to win the Conn Smythe Trophy for playoff MVP 3 times in a career.
On May 28, 2003, Partick announced his retirement from the NHL after 18 seasons. He leaves as the NHL career leader in wins (551) and games played (1,029). He is also the playoff leader in victories (151), games played (247), and shutouts (23).
The Avalanche retired Roy's #33 in October 2003 and he was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2006. As of 2008, he now both owns and coaches the Québec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, where his temper has created several incidents with rival team the Chicoutimi Saguenéens.
avalyn reminds me that Patrick has also been in a few fisticuffs matches, mostly versus goalies from the Detroit Red Wings. Patrick usually loses these. Notable bouts included Roy vs. Vernon on March 26, 1997 and Roy versus Osgood on April 1, 1998. A potential fight in the 2002 playoffs with Detroit 'tender Dominik Hasek was avoided when Dom fell on his behind before the fight could start.
Patrick made the news off the ice when he was involved in a domestic disturbance. During an argument with his wife he reportedly tore a bedroom door off its hinges. It turns out that this form of home renovation is not against Colorado law, but Saint Patrick's halo was slightly tarnished. He and his wife has since parted company.
Patrick is a significant contributor to Ronald McDonald House.
Sources include weekly sessions of Hockey Night in Canada since I was old enough to stay awake,
http://www.coloradoavalanche.com/team/33.html and http://www.nhlpa.com.