Nicolas Roy Bio
Nicolas Roy is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who currently plays for the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League (NHL). Drafted 96th overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, he played major junior hockey with the Chicoutimi Saguenéens before turning professional in the American Hockey League. He captured the Stanley Cup with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023 and has represented Canada in multiple international tournaments, including the 2017 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.
Standing 6 feet 4 inches tall and playing a responsible two-way game, Nicolas Roy has built his career on physical play, faceoff work, and steady defensive contributions. After stops in Carolina, Vegas, and Toronto, his journey reflects the path of a late-round draft pick who developed into a reliable NHL centre and a Stanley Cup champion.
Early Life and Background
Nicolas Roy was born on February 5, 1997, in Amos, Quebec, Canada, to parents Nick and Lisa Roy. He grew up in a hockey household in the small Abitibi-Témiscamingue city of Amos, where youth hockey is woven into community life. His father Nick was a central figure in his early development, offering guidance as Nicolas pursued competitive hockey against older competition.
He has a sister, Mélina, who is also an ice hockey player and represented Team Quebec at the 2012 National Women’s Under-18 Championship. Surrounded by family members who shared his love of the sport, Nicolas Roy developed his early game on outdoor rinks and in local minor hockey programs that shaped his identity as a hard-working, two-way centre.
Path to Professional Hockey
Nicolas Roy began his competitive path in minor hockey, playing for the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies Bantam AA in the MMBAA during the 2010–11 season. He then joined the Amos Forestiers of the Quebec Midget AAA league at age 14, where he posted 43 regular-season games as a rookie and helped the team reach the QMAAA quarterfinals. His strong play earned him an invitation to the Allstate All-Canadians mentorship camp in 2012, and he was later named the recipient of the QMAAA Prospect Award.
Going into the 2013 QMJHL Entry Draft, his father publicly stated that Nicolas would pursue other options if selected first overall by the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles and not traded to a Quebec-based team, partly so he could continue his education through CEGEP. When the Screaming Eagles made that pick, Nicolas Roy refused to report, and on September 6, 2013, his rights were traded to the Chicoutimi Saguenéens in exchange for multiple first-round picks.
Nicolas Roy Career
Early Career (2013–2017)
In his rookie QMJHL season with the Chicoutimi Saguenéens, Nicolas Roy was named an assistant captain and recorded 16 goals and 25 assists in 63 regular-season games. His sophomore campaign in 2014–15 brought CHL Top Prospects Game honors and new career highs across goals, assists, and points. Ranked 45th among North American skaters by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau, he was selected 96th overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft.
During 2015–16, Nicolas Roy was appointed captain of the Saguenéens and led all QMJHL skaters in goals while posting a career-best 90 points in 63 games. He was named to the QMJHL First All-Star Team and signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Hurricanes, finishing his major junior career with another First All-Star Team nod, the Guy Carbonneau Trophy, and a finalist spot for the Marcel Robert Trophy as the QMJHL’s top student-athlete.
Carolina Hurricanes Era (2017–2019)
Assigned to the Hurricanes’ AHL affiliate, the Charlotte Checkers, Nicolas Roy tied for eighth among AHL rookies with 37 points in 68 games during 2017–18. He made his NHL debut on April 7, 2018, appearing in the final game of the Hurricanes’ season. The following year, he recorded 36 points in 69 regular-season games and added 15 points in 19 playoff contests to help the Checkers win the 2019 Calder Cup.
On June 26, 2019, the Carolina Hurricanes traded Nicolas Roy, along with a conditional 2021 fifth-round pick, to the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for Erik Haula, closing out his time in the Hurricanes organization.
Vegas Golden Knights Era (2019–2025)
Joining the Golden Knights organization, Nicolas Roy split the 2019–20 season between Vegas and their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves. He scored his first NHL goal on October 27, 2019, in a 5–2 win over the Anaheim Ducks, netting the game-winner while centering the fourth line with Ryan Reaves and William Carrier. He later formed an unusual all-Nick trio with Nick Cousins and Nick Holden on a goal, and on April 22, 2020, he signed a two-year contract extension worth $750,000 against the salary cap.
During his time in Vegas, Nicolas Roy grew into a trusted two-way centre, playing heavy defensive minutes, winning key faceoffs, and contributing to a Stanley Cup championship in 2023. On July 1, 2025, he was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in a sign-and-trade deal that sent Mitch Marner to the Golden Knights, ending his six-year run with the organization.
Toronto Maple Leafs Era (2025–2026)
Nicolas Roy joined the Toronto Maple Leafs for the 2025–26 season and slotted into a bottom-six centre role, bringing Stanley Cup experience and defensive reliability to the lineup. His stint in Toronto lasted only part of the season before he was dealt again.
On March 5, 2026, the Maple Leafs traded Nicolas Roy to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for a conditional first-round pick in 2027 and a conditional fifth-round pick in 2026, sending him to a contending team in the thick of its playoff push.
Colorado Avalanche Era (2026–Present)
After arriving in Colorado in March 2026, Nicolas Roy joined an Avalanche roster in playoff contention and provided the kind of responsible, two-way centre play that has defined his career. He continued to log important defensive minutes and contribute on the penalty kill, offering a steady veteran presence as Colorado pushed for postseason success.
Driving Style and Strengths
Nicolas Roy is recognized as a defensively responsible centre with strong faceoff ability, smart positioning, and a physical presence along the boards. He kills penalties effectively, protects pucks along the wall, and uses his 6-foot-4 frame to win battles in tight spaces. Coaches have trusted him in late-game defensive situations and on matchup-driven deployments against opposing top lines.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Nicolas Roy’s most memorable career moments are his first NHL goal against the Anaheim Ducks in 2019 and his role on the Vegas Golden Knights’ 2023 Stanley Cup championship team. He also represented Canada at the 2014 Ivan Hlinka Memorial Tournament, the 2015 IIHF World U18 Championships, the 2017 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, and the 2022 IIHF World Championship, where he helped Canada earn a silver medal.
Nicolas Roy Career Wins
Nicolas Roy’s most celebrated team accomplishment is the Stanley Cup, won with the Vegas Golden Knights in 2023. He also helped the Charlotte Checkers capture the 2019 Calder Cup in the AHL and has collected individual QMJHL awards, including a spot on the QMJHL First All-Star Team in consecutive seasons and the Guy Carbonneau Trophy.
Major Wins and Performances
The 2023 Stanley Cup stands as the headline victory of Nicolas Roy’s professional career, validating his development from fourth-round pick to NHL champion. Combined with the 2019 Calder Cup run in Charlotte, his trophy case reflects sustained team success across both the AHL and the NHL.
Nicolas Roy Family
Family Background and Hockey Lineage
Nicolas Roy comes from a close-knit hockey family rooted in Amos, Quebec. His father, Nick Roy, was an influential voice in his early career, most notably during the 2013 QMJHL draft process when he publicly outlined the family’s preference for a Quebec-based team. His mother, Lisa Roy, raised the family in a region where hockey is a central part of community identity.
Personal Life
Nicolas Roy maintains strong ties to his hometown of Amos, where he has returned in past summers to train with kinesiologist Josianne Domingue. His sister, Mélina Roy, is also an ice hockey player who has competed at high-level provincial events, reinforcing the family’s deep connection to the sport.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 calendar year marked a significant chapter for Nicolas Roy, beginning with a major trade on July 1, 2025, when he was sent from the Vegas Golden Knights to the Toronto Maple Leafs as part of a sign-and-trade deal for Mitch Marner. Joining the Maple Leafs organization brought new expectations as he stepped into a depth centre role and contributed defensively while adjusting to a different system.
His 2025–26 campaign in Toronto was shortened by another move, as on March 5, 2026, the Maple Leafs traded him to the Colorado Avalanche for a conditional 2027 first-round pick and a conditional 2026 fifth-round pick. The deal sent him to a Stanley Cup contender, where he took on a supporting role down the stretch of the regular season and into the playoffs.
Looking back across 2025 as a whole, Nicolas Roy experienced two trades, adjusted to two new organizations, and continued to build on his reputation as a dependable two-way centre with championship experience. His versatility, faceoff reliability, and penalty-killing value remained central to how both Toronto and Colorado deployed him during the year.
