Patrick Roy Turns Down Avalanche

For the past week there has been a lot of speculation as to whether or not Patrick Roy would return to the Colorado Avalanche under the coach/GM role they offered the team's former goalie.

On Wednesday came a conclusion to the story. Roy explains that he has turned down the Avalanche offer for family reasons.

Roy has three sons in their late teens and early twenties and told the Denver Post that he thought it was important to be around them during this time. He did, however, leave the door open to a possible job in the NHL down the road.

"I felt pretty comfortable moving up, but the family situation is just not quite there for me right now," Roy said. "When it comes to family, it's always easier to make a decision. But don't get me wrong here, I have the Avalanche at heart... But the door is not closed, that's for sure."

The Avalanche will now continue their search for a GM with their top choice out of the running. And then there's also this: they still have Tony Granato, who has been caught in the middle of all of this, on board as their coach. That's got to be an awkward situation. It can't be fun to come into work knowing your boss is actively searching for your replacement.

For a team that crashed and burned down the stretch in epic fashion, this is another scar that isn't going to heal soon. And, more importantly, think of all the fun that we are going to miss out on without Roy behind the bench. That's the real downer in this story. But since he's still in charge of the Quebec Remparts, all is not lost.