Patrick Williams, TheAHL.com Features Writer
As training camp opened in September, both Joshua Roy and the Montreal Canadiens had plenty of reason for optimism that the 21-year-old forward could make a strong run for a full-time NHL roster spot.
Roy had, after all, spent the final two months of the 2023-24 season in Montreal, playing 23 games, registering nine points (four goals, five assists), and averaging 12:08 of ice time per game. And with the Rocket before that promotion, he had put up 32 points (13 goals, 19 assists) in only 41 AHL games, helping to drive Laval back into playoff contention following the team’s difficult start.
Roy took a look at his NHL opponents and had an immediate takeaway that reinforced the challenge ahead.
“They’re very good, and they’re very smart,” Roy said.
Still, he could go into the summer happy with his first pro season and then get down to his offseason training. Roy, a native of Saint-Georges, Que., stayed in Montreal to train alongside teammates who could provide a higher pro-level standard as well.
Camp, though, did not go Roy’s way. He dressed for five preseason games with the Canadiens and picked up two assists. Was it a poor training camp? No. But a player trying to nail down an NHL roster spot has to do more than that, especially with a group of other prospects trying to push for that same opportunity. He was part of the final group of cuts to Laval before the start of the new season.
“I didn’t have the camp I wished,” Roy admits, “and I think everybody knows it. I just want to prove that I’m better than that.”
Back in Laval, Roy knows that he has work to do. He has plenty still to learn, and new Rocket head coach Pascal Vincent could be the ideal teacher. Vincent, who spent three seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets (including last season as head coach), has returned to the AHL with an extensive coaching resume that goes back three decades. That breadth of experience includes eight seasons in a variety of NHL coaching roles plus another five campaigns with the Manitoba Moose, and coach-of-the-year honors in both the AHL and the QMJHL.
In junior, a trade from Saint John to Sherbrooke during the 2020-21 season gave his career a jolt. Roy improved his fitness, a must for anyone looking to move on to the pro level, and also worked to clean up his defensive game and become a more trusted player. Those efforts paid off, including offensively, as Roy piled up 97 goals in his final 121 regular-season junior games. Along the way, the Habs made him a fifth-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, and he won a pair of gold medals for Canada at the IIHF World Junior Championship. He even earned a spot on a line with 2023 NHL first-overall pick Connor Bedard.
One issue is consistency, which is something that most young prospects must master if they are to find full-time NHL work. Roy might be strong one night and quiet the following night. The games come quickly.
“I’ve got to be sharp every game,” Roy acknowledged. “Just stay sharp every night and bring my game to another level.”
Roy’s work is paying off early this season. He leads the Laval club with seven goals and 12 points in 10 games, including his second career hat trick last Saturday against Providence. Roy has been able to generate chances with 35 shots on goal.
After falling short of the postseason last year, the Rocket have started much more quickly in 2024-25. They earned their eighth consecutive win with a 4-3 shootout decision in Belleville on Friday night, improving to a league-best 9-1-0-0 (.900).
The offensive production is there for Roy, but building consistency and reliability are what will push him back to the NHL. In the meantime, he is able to get ample ice time alongside a growing contingent of Canadiens prospects who may one day skate together with the Habs.
Last season provided an abundance of lessons. So will this season. It already has.
“You have to know that nothing is guaranteed,” Roy said. “You have to earn your spot day after day.”
On the American Hockey League beat for two decades, TheAHL.com features writer Patrick Williams also currently covers the league for NHL.com and FloSports and is a regular contributor on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio. He was the recipient of the AHL’s James H. Ellery Memorial Award for his outstanding coverage of the league in 2016.