Michel Bergeron, nicknamed “the Tiger”, has never been one to hide his opinions.
For 2025, his dearest wish is clear: to see Patrick Roy become the head coach of the Montreal Canadiens.
In his eyes, all the elements are in place to make this happen, and he does not hesitate to share his enthusiasm.
“Patrick Roy is the man we need to bring this team back to where it deserves to be: at the top of the NHL. The stars are aligned, and if the CH does not seize this opportunity, it will be a monumental error. »
The year 2025 represents a pivotal point for the Montreal Canadiens. After several years of reconstruction, the team is finally in a position to aim for the playoffs on a consistent basis from 2025-2026 according to Bergeron.
For Michel Bergeron, this is where Patrick Roy comes in. Roy is not only a legendary former goalie; he is also a born winner, a man capable of galvanizing his troops and getting them to surpass themselves.
With his competitive mentality, he would embody the next logical step in the Canadiens' reconstruction: moving from a team in development to a team that plays to win.
Bergeron is full of praise for Roy. He sees in him much more than a coach: he sees a leader capable of giving the Canadian back its lost identity.
Unlike Martin St-Louis, often perceived as too gentle, Patrick Roy would bring an intensity and a demand that could push the Canadian to exceed his limits.
Bergeron insists:
“Patrick doesn’t give gifts. With him, you work hard or you get out. This is exactly what this team needs. »
Although Michel Bergeron does not question the teaching qualities of Martin St-Louis, he believes that the former winger is not the man for the job in the long term.
“St-Louis is a development guy. He's perfect for bringing young people to their potential, but he's not a guy who's going to win you a Cup. When CH is ready to win, it will be time to move on to Patrick Roy. »
According to Bergeron, the limitations of St. Louis are becoming more and more obvious. His approach, while positive, lacks the intensity needed to turn a good team into a great team.
In her eyes, Roy, with his outspokenness and passion, is the perfect antithesis of St. Louis.
Bergeron insists on the fact that all the conditions are met for Patrick Roy to take control of the Canadian in 2025…or in 2026…
In 2026, Patrick Roy will be free from his commitments with the New York Islanders, a team at the end of its cycle and without a clear future.
Bergeron thinks Roy could choose not to renew his contract, especially if an opportunity in Montreal arises.
If the Canadian does not progress significantly under Martin St-Louis by 2025, criticism could push Kent Hughes and Jeff Gorton to consider a change of direction.
And who better than Roy to take over?
Montreal fans, often critical, would welcome Patrick Roy with open arms. His return would be seen as a bold and symbolic gesture, a way of reaffirming the Canadian's identity as a leading franchise.
For Michel Bergeron, Patrick Roy's return to Montreal is more than a personal wish: it is obvious.
In his eyes, Roy is the man who can transform the Canadiens into a formidable team, capable of competing with the best teams in the league.
And if Roy accepted this challenge, he wouldn't do it half-heartedly. Bergeron is convinced that Roy, with his passion and intensity, would do anything to bring the Stanley Cup back to Montreal.
“Patrick, he’s a winner. With him, the Canadian would finally find his identity. If Jeff Gorton and Kent Hughes are smart, they will do anything to get Roy to 2025.”
In 2025, the Montreal Canadiens could well be at a decisive turning point. With a young and promising team, but an urgent need for leadership and intensity, Patrick Roy seems to be the ideal choice to guide this historic franchise to new heights.
For Michel Bergeron, the stars are aligned. If Roy returns to Montreal, it could mark the start of a glorious new era for the Canadian.
And if this dream comes true, Bergeron will be able to proudly say: “I told you so. »
If we are to believe several sources close to the matter, Patrick Roy is starting to show obvious signs that he is tired of Long Island.
Known for his outspokenness and his intensity, Roy now finds himself caught in quicksand that he no longer has the patience to endure.
The Quebec coach, stuck with an aging team, without clear direction and without a future, seems to have reached his limits.
Since his arrival, Roy has inherited a group of players worn down by the years and poorly supervised by an organization that refuses to rebuild.
With veterans like Anders Lee and Brock Nelson struggling to return to their former form, and a non-existent prospect pool, Roy navigates a situation he knows is doomed to failure.
“This is a team built to fail,” would have confided a close friend of the coach, tired of seeing his work limited by the decisions of general manager Lou Lamoriello, who continues to advocate a short-term approach without vision for the future.
Roy, who expected to work closely with Lamoriello, quickly realized that the support he hoped for was not forthcoming.
As the defeats piled up and the criticism became more and more virulent, Lamoriello remained strangely silent, leaving Roy to face the media storm alone.
This rift between the two men became evident when Lamoriello publicly downplayed the team's problems, refusing to take any responsibility. P
For Roy, this abandonment represents a betrayal. He who has always advocated loyalty and unity finds himself isolated, without an ally in a dysfunctional organization.
“Roy was thrown into a losing situation, and Lamoriello let him down”wrote a journalist from The Athletic.
Patrick Roy, known for his boundless passion, no longer hides his frustration. The defeats accumulate, the players seem demotivated, and solutions are rare.
“It’s like trying to repair a ship that’s taking on water from all sides.”he would have confided to a relative.
The Islanders' power play, last in the league with a miserable success rate of 12.1%, has become a symbol of this collective helplessness.
Despite constant adjustments, nothing works. The fans are losing patience, and Roy, who hates losing more than anything, seems more and more affected by this toxic environment.
For Patrick Roy, Long Island was never a final destination. His ultimate goal has always been clear: to become the head coach of the Montreal Canadiens, the team with which he made history as a player.
For him, Montreal would be much more than just a job: it would be a return to his roots, a chance to give back to the organization that propelled him to legendary status.
On Long Island, everything indicates that Roy's adventure is coming to an end. Between an absent general manager, unmotivated players and a bleak future, Roy seems to have exhausted all his options.
Even the supporters, who had welcomed him with enthusiasm, began to lose faith in him.
For Patrick Roy, leaving Long Island would not be a failure, but a liberation. Tired of being a prisoner of an organization without a vision, he seems ready to turn the page and focus on what he really wants: writing a glorious new chapter with the Montreal Canadiens.
Patrick is a winner. He needs to be in an environment where he can succeed. Long Island is not that place.
If 2025 marks the arrival of Patrick Roy behind the Canadiens bench, it could well be the start of a renaissance for Montreal and for the man who has already marked the history of this franchise.
But to do that, Roy will first have to find the strength to close the book on his Long Island nightmare.
A decision that seems more and more inevitable.
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