Patrick Roy is a strong candidate for the Avalanche head coaching job, an NHL source confirmed Sunday.

The former Avalanche goaltender and NHL Hall of Famer is considered a rising star in the coaching ranks and was offered Colorado’s head coaching job in 2009 before turning it down. With the job open again, and with fewer personal ties to his job with the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, Roy could have renewed interest in coming back to Denver.

Avalanche vice president of hockey operations Joe Sakic would not comment when asked whether he has met with Roy recently to discuss the coaching job. Roy could not be reached for comment.

Roy, 47, has a 307-138-32 record as coach of the Remparts since 2005, including one Memorial Cup championship. When he turned down the Avalanche job in 2009, he listed wanting to coach his youngest son, Frederick, with the Remparts as a major reason. Because his sons — another, Jonathan, also played for the Remparts — have moved on, Roy could feel the time is right to have his first NHL coaching job. He also said at the time that he hoped the Avs might consider him again someday.

“I felt pretty comfortable moving up, but the family situation is just not quite there for me right now,” Roy told The Denver Post in 2009. “When it comes to family, it’s always easier to make a decision. But don’t get me wrong here, I have the Avalanche at heart. There’s two very special organizations for me — Montreal and Colorado — and it’s never easy. I would have seen it as a great challenge. But the door is not closed, that’s for sure.”

At his introductory news conference recently, Sakic said he would not want to hire a head coach from the junior ranks. That seemed to have eliminated Roy as a candidate. But Sakic later said he misspoke, and indicated the field would be wide open.

The Avalanche has had a vacancy at head coach since Joe Sacco was fired April 28. The team also has openings at assistant coach and goalies coach.

Adrian Dater: 303-954-1360, adater@denverpost.com or twitter.com/adater