Patrick Roy announces he's leaving Avalanche

Colorado Avalanche head coach and vice president of hockey operations Patrick Roy issued a statement Wednesday announcing he will be leaving the organization.

"For the past three years, I have carried out my duties as head coach and vice president of hockey operations for the Colorado Avalanche with energy, passion, and determination," Roy said.

"I have thought long and hard over the course of the summer about how I might improve this team to give it the depth it needs and bring it to a higher level. To achieve this, the vision of the coach and VP-Hockey Operations needs to be perfectly aligned with that of the organization. He must also have a say in the decisions that impact the team's performance. These conditions are not currently met."

The timing of Roy's decision comes as a huge surprise, as both he and general manager Joe Sakic expressed their desires to keep things the same behind the bench earlier in the offseason.

"Patrick informed me of his decision today," Sakic said in a release. "We appreciate all he has done for our organization and wish him the best of luck in the future."

"We will begin the search for a new head coach immediately."

Roy was named to his position in May 2013, and after leading Colorado to a Central Division tile in his first year behind the bench, the team has struggled to sustain success, missing the playoffs in each of the last two seasons.

On top of coaching duties, Roy has close ties to the entire Avalanche organization, where he played eight seasons and won two Stanley Cups. All told, he finishes his tenure as Colorado's coach with a 130-92-24 record.