Patrick Roy won four Stanley Cups during his career. (Canadian Press)

Much like results of those tense overtime playoff games he starred in, Patrick Roy's induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame was never in doubt.

St. Patrick, like the "Great" Wayne Gretzky or the "Magnificent" Mario Lemieux, was a shoo-in for the Hockey Hall the instant he announced he was leaving the NHL's player ranks.

On Monday the former Montreal Canadiens and Colorado Avalanche netminder will take his place amoung hockey's immortals, in his first year of eligibility.

"It's a great day," said Roy, after hearing about his Hall induction last summer. "It's the crowning achievement for me." Roy left the game after the 2002-03 season at a time when the 37-year-old was still one of the league's best goaltenders.

But for Roy, merely being "one of the best" wasn't good enough.

Right from the beginning he was something special who, in retrospect, should have seemed obviously on his way to legendary status.

A star is born

When Roy was named the Montreal Canadiens' starting goaltender for the 1985-'86 season, he had precisely 20 minutes of NHL experience under his belt. Yet he led the Habs into the playoffs and, after posting 15 victories and a 1.92 goals-against average, the Canadiens had skated away with the Stanley Cup and Roy had won the Conn Smythe Trophy as post-season most valuable player.

What is not so often remembered is that man who would ultimately win three Vezina Trophy nods as top goaltender was the 51st player, and third goalie, chosen in the 1984 draft.

Or, that the Canadiens tried to get him to change his now-famed and oft-imitated "butterfly" style.

Roy's record-breaking achievements merely rubber stamped his place in the Hall of Fame alongside such goaltending greats as Terry Sawchuk, Jacques Plante, Glenn Hall, Grant Fuhr and Tony Esposito.

Yet the numbers don't capture the way Roy elevated his game when the pressure was on, particularly when the Stanley Cup was on the line. He almost single-handedly carried the Canadiens to their Cup wins in 1986 and 1993.

During those 1993 playoffs Roy was simply astounding, winning 10 straight overtime games against just one loss in extra time. His post-season record that year was 16-4 with a 2.13 GAA.

"It was a lot easier for me to concentrate and to be focused in the playoffs than it was in the regular season," said Roy of his post-season success.

"The outcome of every game was so important."

A different sort

It is a hockey truism that great goaltenders are a breed apart: often high-strung, aloof, eccentric, egocentric.

Dominik Hasek seemingly alienates teammates as often as he saves games. Sawchuk was both melancholic and volatile. Gary "Suitcase" Smith would strip off all his hockey equipment and shower between periods while the great Glenn Hall would be so wracked with nerves before games that he would violently vomit.

Perhaps it is a necessary part of a goaltender's mental make-up. After all, few would dispute the pressures that come with the job.

Roy certainly fits the mould. He talked to his goalposts, he wouldn't touch the red or blue lines and no one would deny there was a touch of arrogance in him.

In Montreal, fans still talk about that fateful night in the legendary Forum when he lashed out in a fit of embarrassed rage at Montreal coach Mario Tremblay.

The turning point

December 2, 1995 was a particularly bad night for Roy. Playing against the Detroit Red Wings, he allowed nine goals on 26 shots. The demanding Forum fans jeered him when he made an easy save and Roy raised his hands in mock celebration. When he was finally, mercifully, pulled, Roy stormed past his coach and confronted team president Ronald Corey.

"It's my last game in Montreal," he said.

The Canadiens tried to change Roy's now famous "butterfly" style. (Canadian Press)

A few days later Roy was traded to Colorado and a few months later the Avalanche were hoisting the Stanley Cup. Roy went 16-6 during the playoffs with three shutouts, including a 63-save performance against the Florida Panthers in a game that went into triple overtime.

Since Roy's departure, the Canadiens and the Avalanche went in different directions. Montreal, once the crown jewel of the NHL, faced a yearly life-or-death struggle to make the playoffs, while Colorado became a perennial Cup favourite.

Roy backstopped the Avalanche to a second championship in 2001.

And three years ago he accomplished what many thought was an almost impossible individual feat.

Setting the standard

Hockey once had two seemingly unassailable records: Gordie Howe's all-time scoring mark and Terry Sawchuk's 447 regular-season wins in goal.

But, just as Gretzky shattered Howe's record of 1,850 points, Roy passed Sawchuk's 30-year-old netminding record, going on to win 551 games.

"It is kind of funny because when I played my first game all I wanted was to survive in the league as long as I could," Roy said as he closed in on Sawchuk.

"When I got traded to Colorado and then I hit that 300-win mark, I realized that it could be possible for me to reach that record.

"I think for any athlete, you need objectives and players like Sawchuk or Hall or those great goaltenders in the past has made it interesting for goaltenders," he said. "It gives them some goals to reach."

Still passionate

Today, the 40-year-old is still very much involved in hockey.

He's the co-owner, general manager and head coach of the Quebec Junior Hockey League's Quebec Remparts, a club he piloted to a Memorial Cup Championship this past June.

It was the Remparts first Canadian Junior Hockey title in since 1971.

"It was a great career," said Roy. "It was fun, every minute of it, and I'm happy to still be involved in hockey today.

"Hockey is my passion."