Avalanche officially name Patrick Roy head coach, as well as VP of hockey operations

Turns out Stephane Roy knew what he was talking about after all. Two days after telling the Denver Post that his brother, Patrick Roy would be the next head coach of the Colorado Avalanche -- and then back-pedaling when someone told him brothers are supposed to give noogies and share Oreos, not break major personnel decisions -- the Avalanche have officially announced the move.

Patrick Roy is the next head coach of the Colorado Avalanche.

But that's not all! He's also been named a vice president of hockey operations, just like Joe Sakic! They'll be leading the hockey team together. (Also Greg Sherman will be there. Awkward.)

From the Avalanche press release, which is 625 words long, none of which are "Greg" or "Sherman", and I don't think that's normal:

“This is a very exciting day for our fans and a significant moment in our organization’s history,” said Avalanche President Josh Kroenke. “Patrick’s passion for the game of hockey both as a player and as a coach defines who he is as a person. He is a winner and is coming back to Denver where he created numerous special moments on and off the ice while helping lead us to two Stanley Cup championships.”

“All along Patrick was our top candidate and we are thrilled that he has decided to accept this offer,” said Sakic. “Patrick has a great hockey mind, is a tremendous coach and there is no one more passionate about this game. He will bring that winning attitude to our dressing room to help this young team grow.”

“This is an unbelievable day for me,” said Roy. “It’s a new and exciting challenge that I am really looking forward to. I would like to thank Stan and Josh Kroenke for this opportunity as well as Joe Sakic for the trust they are putting in me. Almost 10 years to the day that I announced my retirement as a player I am back in Denver and hope the fans are as excited as I am.”

The jury's still out on whether Sakic and Roy can do what they did for the Avalanche a decade ago from the front office. There's a nostalgia element that's very cool, but may not necessarily turn the franchise around. That said, it would be tough for the Avalanche to take a step backwards, and Roy's junior resume speaks for itself. This isn't a hire based on what he did during his days as a player. It's based on what he's done since.

Plus, if it's a personality transplant the Avalanche needed, and they did, boy oh boy, did they just get one.