Pierre Lacroix may never have built a dynasty in the strictest definition of the word, but he did build a consistent winner in his 10 seasons as general manager of the Colorado Avalanche. And it will be hard for whoever succeeds him to duplicate his record.
The Lacroix era is over for the Avs.
Lacroix, 58, resigned his position Friday afternoon in an emotional news conference at the Pepsi Center, one day after the Avalanche was eliminated in the second round of the National Hockey League playoffs. Lacroix will stay on as president, however, and will play a major role in naming his successor.
Lacroix said that he has a candidate in mind and that the process should not take long.
Lacroix assembled the team that won Stanley Cup championships in 1996 and 2001 and made four other trips to the Western Conference finals. He said he decided that this would be his final season as GM during the 2004-05 NHL lockout.
“It’s time for me to be a grandpa and give my family more of the time they deserve. My wife, when I took this job, said, ‘I’ll give you five years.’ Well, I lasted twice that long,” Lacroix said. “It’s been an incredible journey. Hockey has given our family everything. This organization is going to remain in good hands, we will see to it.”
Retaining the title of president will allow Lacroix to keep his competitive juices flowing.
“I’ll be around. Not as much as before, obviously, but if the new (GM) needs me for anything, for advice or to talk or whatever, I’ll be there,” Lacroix said. “I’d like to assure our fans that the candidate that will be hired to run the day-to-day operations will have the credentials necessary to continue our winning tradition.”
In his 11 seasons as general manager of the franchise – including one season in Quebec before the move to Denver – Lacroix never had a losing team. His Avalanche teams played in 26 playoff series, the most of any NHL team since 1995.
He pulled off some of the biggest trades in NHL history, including one that landed star goalie Patrick Roy from Montreal in 1995. His acquisitions of Sandis Ozolinsh and Claude Lemieux that same year helped the Avs win a Stanley Cup in the first season in Denver, and his acquisition of Boston Bruins legendary defenseman Ray Bourque helped Colorado win again in 2001.
There were a few stumbles along the way, including the trading of Chris Drury and Stephane Yelle to Calgary in 2002, but overall, Lacroix’s legacy was one of excellence.
“I’ve been involved with this franchise since the summer of 2000 and have taken great pride and much personal enjoyment in working with Pierre,” Avalanche owner Stan Kroenke said in a statement. “It’s been great for me to see how much this franchise has achieved over the past decade. He is and will remain an outstanding executive and one of the main reasons why this franchise has achieved so much. Pierre will remain with us for the remainder of his working life.”
Lacroix, always secretive in his dealings with the media, would not tip his hand on who he wants as his successor. Some familiar names to Avalanche fans have already been mentioned in speculation, however, including Roy and Bourque, who have expressed a desire to possibly come out of retirement for a management role.
Michel Goulet, assistant to the president, is a possible in-house candidate, as is director of player personnel Craig Billington. Some high-profile potential outside candidates currently without jobs include Pat Quinn, Dave Taylor and former Avs coach Marc Crawford, although he and Lacroix had a falling-out in 1998.
Lacroix said he is stepping down to spend more time with his grandchildren. His son, Eric, and wife are expecting their second child May 26.
After wiping tears from his eyes after the news conference, Lacroix hugged wife Colombe and grandson Max.
“I think a lot of people admire him and what he’s done,” Eric Lacroix said of his father. “He put every ounce of himself into that job for 11 years, and I know it took a toll. But he achieved a lot, and I know he’s proud, and we are of him.”
Staff writer Adrian Dater can be reached at 303-820-5454 or adater@denverpost.com.
