Speculation around the Montreal Canadiens possibly bringing Patrick Roy back into the fold picked up on Wednesday as team advisor Serge Savard confirmed that he spoke with the former goaltending great last week about his plans for the future.
"It was not a formal interview," Savard told Renaud Lavoie of RDS. "I just wanted to know his intentions."
Savard, who is helping team owner and president Geoff Molson find a new general manager, added that he did not offer the position to Roy, nor did he offer a head coaching position.
The rumour mill on Roy as a candidate for either position intensified last week when his Quebec Remparts were eliminated from the QMJHL playoffs by the Halifax Mooseheads. Many in the Montreal media have speculated that Roy would be head coach regardless of who becomes the new GM, which Savard dismissed on Wednesday.
"We're going to fill the position of GM before the coach," he told reporters at a gathering at the University of Sherbrooke on Wednesday.
The Canadiens began their GM search after the firing of general manager Pierre Gauthier on Mar. 29 and have reportedly inquired about several candidates including agent Pat Brisson and NHL executives Claude Loiselle, Marc Bergevin, Blair Mackasey, Julien BriseBois and Jim Nill.
"It's going well," Savard said regarding the process. "It should be settled in the coming weeks to allow at least three to four weeks for the next GM to prepare before the draft."
