NY Islanders Patrick Roy returns to Colorado to face the son of a player he was traded for in 1995

It was one of the most shocking trades in the history of the NHL. After getting shelled by the Detroit Red Wings for nine goals and left in net, Patrick Roy requested a trade from the team he grew up cheering for and brought two Stanley Cups.

Shipped to the Colorado Avalanche, Roy did exactly what he did in Montreal, bringing the Avalanche two Stanley Cups after their relocation from Quebec City.

Tonight, Roy returns to Colorado as a visiting team member for the first time since retiring in 2003. He will be the opposing bench from the son of a player he was traded for almost 20 years earlier.

Ties back to 1995

Nikolai Kovalenko is a 24-year-old rookie for the Avalanche, playing in his fifth NHL game, and the son of Andrei Kovalenko, who the Avs shipped to Montreal in 1995 as part of the package that saw them acquire Roy.

Kovcalenko didn't sustain the same success as Roy, leaving the Canadiens after the 1995-96 season and joining the Edmonton Oilers.

Like he did in Montreal last year, there should be an outstanding ovation for Roy from the fans in attendance at Ball Arena tonight, as his number 33 hangs from the rafters.

Besides his success on the ice, Roy also got his first coaching job with the Avs, leading the team behind the bench for three seasons.

Roy now enters his first full season as the Islanders bench boss and is looking for his first win of the season. The Avalanche are fighting the injury bug early in the season, but the Isles will still have to deal with some of the league's best players, Cale Makar, Mikko Rantanen, and Nathan MacKinnon.