It’s safe to say that when the Florida Panthers went out and acquired Matthew Tkachuk, that move changed the course of the entire franchise. The Panthers won the Presidents’ Trophy during the 2021-22 season and proceeded to trade Jonathan Huberdeau (who had a 115-point season), defenseman Mackenzie Weegar, Cole Schwindt, and a 2025 first-round pick (Cullen Potter) to the Calgary Flames.
While the move seemed crazy when it was announced, the Panthers have gone to the Stanley Cup Final three years in a row and have now won the trophy in back-to-back years. This Panthers team was good and talented with Huberdeau, but the aggressive approach by general manager Bill Zito saw him make this move for the better of the franchise. So I began to wonder what other moves in hockey history have had this magnitude of effect on a franchise? One comes to mind, and it’s Patrick Roy to the Colorado Avalanche.
Revisiting the Patrick Roy Trade to the Avalanche
You can make a case for the famous Eric Lindros trade from the Quebec Nordiques to the Philadelphia Flyers. That trade alone shaped the core group for the Avalanche that they were able to build around. The Nordiques received Mike Ricci, Ryan Hextall, Steve Duchesne, Chris Simon, cash, and Peter Forsberg. Forsberg alone went down as one of the most legendary Avalanche players, right behind Joe Sakic and Roy.
Roy was a legend for the Montreal Canadiens. He helped them win the Stanley Cup in 1986 and also won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs’ most valuable player. Furthermore, he captured two Vezina Trophies in his tenure with the Canadiens (1989, 1992) and finished with a 2.89 goals-against average (GAA) and a .904 save percentage (SV%). It’s very crazy looking back at how a historic franchise like the Canadiens would trade an elite goaltender like Roy. The factors leading to this trade stemmed from a strained relationship with head coach Mario Tremblay. Tremblay was not shy to criticize his goaltender, and there was also a perception that the team revolved around Roy himself.
It was Dec. 2, 1995, a game against the Detroit Red Wings. This was the final straw that led to the famous trade. Roy had a game to forget, as he allowed nine goals and eventually had fans cheering when he made a save. Most nights, you’d see the head coach pull the goalie, knowing it was not his night. Instead, Tremblay left Roy in for the entirety of the game, and Roy demanded a trade right after.
“A change had become necessary,” Savard said about Roy. “The team revolved far too much around him.”
On Dec. 6, 1995, the Avalanche acquired the star goaltender and forward Mike Keane in exchange for goaltender Jocelyn Thibault, Martin Rucinsky, and Andrei Kovalenko. Thibault spent four seasons as the goalie for the Canadiens before being traded and spending the majority of his career with the Chicago Blackhawks. Rucinsky spent seven seasons with the Canadiens and was a steady producer. He then bounced around from the Dallas Stars, New York Rangers, St. Louis Blues, and Vancouver Canucks as a journeyman. Kovakenko spent the 1995-96 season with the Canadiens. He then landed with the Edmonton Oilers and spent three years with the club. In addition, he spent one year with the Flyers before being traded to the Hurricanes in the middle of the 1998-99 season. His final year was with the Boston Bruins in the 2000-01 season. Overall, this move alone helped catapult the Avalanche further into contention and was a great splash for a team that just relocated to Denver, Colorado.
The Window Busted Wide Open for the Avalanche
This move had very similar effects to what Tkachuk did for the Panthers. The Avalanche had the pieces in place, but there was just something missing. They needed a dynamic goaltender in net and something that could catapult them further in the Western Conference.
Related: The 10 Greatest Hockey Moments From The Past 25 Years
Towards the tail end of their days in Quebec, they lost in the Division Semifinals (1992-93) and then again in the Conference Quarterfinals in 1994-95. They were right on the cusp of winning, but needed that extra jolt. Well, when they got Roy, things exploded, and in a good way.
The Avalanche finished first in the division and second in the league during the 1995-96 season. Most importantly, they won the Stanley Cup, sweeping the Panthers. The move paid enormous dividends right away, and their contention status remained steady throughout the rest of his career.
The Avalanche made the playoffs every season from 1995-2003. From 1996-2000, they were among the best of the best in the Western Conference, but did run into the Detroit Red Wings and the Dallas Stars. In that span, they lost in the conference finals three times and suffered an exit in the Conference Quarterfinals the other year. This team was always among the contenders, but as we know in the game of hockey, winning is hard.
The 2000-01 season saw the Avalanche once again reach the summit of the hockey world. They defeated the New Jersey Devils in seven games to win the Stanley Cup. Roy versus Martin Brodeur was cinematic hockey, and Roy ended up getting the victory. That Avalanche team was lethal.
Roy helped this Avalanche team win the franchise’s first two Stanley Cups in a six-year period, while also knocking on the door many other times with six conference finals appearances. Roy not only helped put Avalanche hockey on the map, but also cemented his legacy as an Avalanche legend. Not to mention, he gave fans the memory of a lifetime during “Fight Night at the Joe.”
Roy still holds many records to this day for the Avalanche. He has the most wins (262), tied for the best SV% (.918), best GAA (2.27), and shutouts (37).
This trade altered the course of the franchise, much like the Panthers and Tkachuk, and it’s great to revisit one of the most shocking moves in hockey history.
This Move Had Similar Effects
Every team makes drastic changes and moves that make them better. The Tkachuk trade to the Panthers is one of those franchise-altering moves, and Roy to the Avalanche is very much in the same class. It’s not every day a team gets a superstar talent that shapes their franchise. Twice now this has happened, and it’s great to look back on.
Sign up for our FREE NHL History Substack newsletter
