Joshua Roy Bio
Joshua Roy is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger who plays for the Laval Rocket of the American Hockey League (AHL) under contract to the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL). Born on August 6, 2003, in Saint-Georges, Quebec, Roy has emerged as one of the most intriguing young prospects in the Canadiens organization, a player whose career arc has moved from early disappointment to genuine promise. Standing 6 feet 0 inches tall and weighing 192 pounds, the left-shooting right winger is widely viewed as a skilled playmaker with a maturing physical edge.
Early Life and Background
Joshua Roy was born on August 6, 2003, in Saint-Georges, Quebec, Canada. Like many elite young hockey players from the province, he grew up immersed in the sport, developing his game through local minor hockey programs. He played for the Lévis Chevaliers of the Quebec Junior AAA Hockey League (QMAAA) during the 2018–19 season, a campaign that established his reputation as a premier prospect. That year, Roy set a franchise scoring record for the Chevaliers and led the entire league in total points with 88, a performance that immediately drew the attention of major junior scouts.
His outstanding minor hockey resume earned him the top selection in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) Entry Draft, where the Saint John Sea Dogs took him first overall. The Sea Dogs saw in him a skill set reminiscent of former team alumnus Jonathan Huberdeau, and Roy himself described his style as more about finesse than physicality, an honest self-assessment that would shape the early narrative of his career.
Path to Hockey
Roy’s transition to the QMJHL with the Saint John Sea Dogs was the next major step in his development. He made his league debut in the 2019–20 season, appearing in 60 games before the COVID-19 pandemic halted play. He had 16 goals and 28 assists at the time of the shutdown, promising numbers that were undercut by the league’s closure.
Heading into the 2020–21 season, the NHL Central Scouting Bureau had rated Roy as a B-grade prospect, projecting him as a second- or third-round candidate. However, the pandemic created extended disruptions. After playing 15 games for the Sea Dogs and registering nine goals and eight assists, Roy struggled through the league’s near four-month COVID-related shutdown. He requested a trade, and in advance of the 2021 trade deadline, was dealt to the Sherbrooke Phoenix. With the Phoenix, he appeared in 16 games, posting nine goals and five assists and finishing second on the team in scoring during that span. Although his QMJHL production had been inconsistent, the Montreal Canadiens selected him in the fifth round, 150th overall, of the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, with scouting director Trevor Timmins remarking that the team felt he would be a late bloomer.
Joshua Roy Career
Early Career (2019–2021)
Joshua Roy’s first two major junior seasons with the Saint John Sea Dogs were defined by mixed results. He showed flashes of offensive brilliance but was criticized at times for inconsistent competitiveness, with The Hockey News noting that despite posting 11 points in 11 playoff games, he had not been as competitive shift-to-shift as desired. The pandemic-related shutdown of the 2020–21 season further complicated his development, and his trade to the Sherbrooke Phoenix marked a turning point in his young career.
Following the 2021 trade deadline deal, Roy appeared in 16 games with the Phoenix and finished second on the club in scoring over that stretch. While NHL scouting assessments of his first two QMJHL seasons were generally negative, Canadiens director of player personnel Trevor Timmins publicly expressed confidence that the winger would mature into a top contributor, a prediction that would soon be validated.
QMJHL Breakthrough (2021–2023)
The 2021 offseason marked a defining moment in Joshua Roy’s career. The Sherbrooke Phoenix and the Montreal Canadiens’ development staff worked together to design a program addressing his training and conditioning. The results were immediate and dramatic. During the 2021–22 QMJHL season, Roy erupted for 51 goals and 68 assists, totaling a league-best 119 points in 66 games. He won the Jean Béliveau Trophy as the QMJHL’s top scorer and was named to the league’s First All-Star Team.
Roy’s impact went beyond scoring. He was also awarded the Paul Dumont Trophy as the personality of the year, recognized for being an important ambassador for the QMJHL and for his positive presence in media circles. He was a finalist for both the Frank J. Selke Memorial Trophy, awarded to the most sportsmanlike player, and the Michel Brière Memorial Trophy, given to the QMJHL’s most valuable player. The Phoenix advanced to the 2022 QMJHL playoffs and reached the semi-finals before being eliminated by the Charlottetown Islanders.
During the 2022 offseason, Roy signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Canadiens on March 30, 2022. After the QMJHL playoffs, he was eligible to be called up to the Laval Rocket for the Calder Cup playoffs, where he appeared in one game during the Eastern Conference Finals. Returning to the Phoenix for 2022–23, he received targeted guidance from Canadiens player development director Adam Nicholas on building NHL-level habits, including a more physical style and a willingness to enter high-danger scoring areas. He played 55 regular-season games, registering 46 goals and 53 assists and tying for seventh in league scoring. He earned his second Dumont Trophy and his second First All-Star Team selection and was again a Brière Trophy finalist. Roy and the Phoenix reached the playoff semi-finals for a second consecutive year, falling this time to the Halifax Mooseheads.
Laval Rocket and Montreal Canadiens Era (2022–Present)
Joshua Roy turned professional in 2023, beginning with the Canadiens’ prospect camp and a strong showing at a rookie showcase tournament in Buffalo where he led the team in scoring. He was assigned to the Laval Rocket for their AHL training camp in October 2023, and his professional debut was a productive one: he registered a goal and an assist in a 7–3 loss to the Abbotsford Canucks. He matched that output in his second game against the same opponent, drawing positive attention from observers.
On October 20, Roy recorded his first AHL hat-trick, also adding two assists in a game against the Rochester Americans. His strong start, five goals and seven assists through his first seven professional games, earned him the AHL’s Rookie of the Month honor. After 12 goals and 18 assists across 34 AHL games, he was recalled to the Montreal Canadiens, making his NHL debut on January 13, 2024, following an injury to Josh Anderson. Roy scored his first NHL goal on January 17, in a 3–2 victory over the New Jersey Devils. After six NHL games, in which he recorded a goal and an assist, he returned to Laval, and was recalled again on February 10 following an injury to Rafaël Harvey-Pinard. Despite an upper-body injury in March, Roy returned in mid-April and was reassigned to Laval to close the season.
Roy was reassigned to the Rocket to begin the 2024–25 season on October 7, after a preseason performance with the Canadiens that was viewed as underwhelming. He posted 16 points through 17 games with Laval before being recalled on November 25. After a four-game NHL stint, he was returned to Laval on December 2. In early 2025, he was named to the AHL All-Star Classic for the first time, but shortly afterward suffered an upper-body injury against the Utica Comets that sidelined him for an estimated four to six weeks.
Driving Style and Strengths
Joshua Roy is widely regarded as a skilled, cerebral winger whose game is built on offensive creativity and high-end playmaking. Early in his career he openly acknowledged that he was not a highly physical player, but he has since added a more direct, hard-nosed element to his game under the guidance of the Canadiens’ player development staff. He has shown an increasing willingness to drive to the net and operate in high-danger areas, a transformation that has helped translate his junior scoring into professional production.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Joshua Roy’s signature moments are his first AHL hat-trick on October 20, 2023, against the Rochester Americans, and his first NHL goal on January 17, 2024, against the New Jersey Devils. His record-setting 2018–19 minor hockey season with the Lévis Chevaliers, his 119-point 2021–22 QMJHL campaign, and his role in Canada’s back-to-back World Junior Championship gold medals in 2022 and 2023 all stand as defining milestones in his young career.
Joshua Roy Career Wins
Joshua Roy’s trophy case reflects his rise from a much-discussed prospect to a recognized leader in Canadian junior hockey. His most prestigious individual honor is the Jean Béliveau Trophy, won after a dominant 2021–22 QMJHL campaign, while his two Paul Dumont Trophy wins, in 2022 and 2023, recognize his contributions as a league ambassador. He was also a finalist for both the Frank J. Selke Memorial Trophy and the Michel Brière Memorial Trophy.
QMJHL Highlights
Roy’s QMJHL tenure was bookended by a difficult first two seasons with the Saint John Sea Dogs and a pair of dominant years with the Sherbrooke Phoenix. After his 2021 trade, he won the Jean Béliveau Trophy as the league’s top scorer in 2021–22, with 51 goals and 68 assists for 119 points, and earned two First All-Star Team selections in consecutive seasons. He was twice a finalist for the Brière Trophy and twice a Dumont Trophy recipient.
Other Wins and Performances
Beyond the QMJHL, Roy was a gold medalist with Team Quebec at the 2019 Canada Winter Games and a participant in the World U-17 Hockey Challenge with Canada Red, where he recorded two goals and two assists in five games. He was named to the AHL All-Star Classic in early 2025, another signal of his growing professional profile.
Joshua Roy Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Public information about Joshua Roy’s family background is limited. He was raised in Saint-Georges, Quebec, in a hockey-rich region of Canada that has produced numerous professional players.
Personal Life
Joshua Roy maintains a relatively private personal life. He is a Canadian citizen and continues to focus on his professional development within the Montreal Canadiens organization.
2025 Season Performance
Joshua Roy entered the 2024–25 season reassigned to the Laval Rocket after a preseason with the Canadiens that was judged underwhelming. He responded with a strong stretch in the AHL, posting 16 points through his first 17 games with Laval and earning a recall to Montreal on November 25, 2024. After a four-game NHL stint, he was returned to the Rocket on December 2.
In early 2025, Roy was named to the AHL All-Star Classic for the first time, a significant recognition of his professional development. The celebration was short-lived, however, as he suffered an upper-body injury in a game against the Utica Comets shortly afterward, an injury expected to sideline him for four to six weeks.
Heading into the remainder of 2025, the focus for Roy is on recovery, continued AHL production, and another opportunity to push for a more permanent NHL role with the Canadiens. His progression remains a key storyline in the organization’s prospect pipeline, with the Canadiens hopeful that his combination of skill, work ethic, and growing physical game will translate into a long NHL career.
