Joshua Roy on a roll as Laval Rocket fuels up for playoff run
If the Laval Rocket is to have a deep run in the coming AHL playoffs, having a productive Joshua Roy at its disposal will be paramount.
“One hundred per cent. Yes. And he has been doing it,” Laval head coach Pascal Vincent said Monday after practice at Place Bell. “The power play has been on fire the last two games, and he has been a big piece of it.
“Yes, we need the players that have offensive abilities to produce.”
While Laval split a pair of weekend home games against Belleville — losing 7-6 in overtime Friday night before prevailing 5-2 Saturday afternoon — Roy produced a pair of efforts for the ages. He scored two goals and added an assist on Friday, followed by three goals on Saturday, although the last two both came into an empty net.
Through 56 games, Roy has 23 goals and 44 points. The right winger has been playing on the Rocket’s top line with Sean Farrell and Alex Belizle.
“Overall, the whole weekend went pretty good,” Roy said. “It was good to finally score some goals and to create some momentum out of it. We just have to keep building on that weekend.
“I think I’ve learned a lot this year,” added the 22-year-old native of Saint-Georges-de-Beauce. “I just need to keep working on my game and getting better two ways on the ice — just to be more of a pro player. Just keep working hard.”
Roy’s story has been well documented.
Selected in the fifth round (150th overall) in 2021, he played 23 games for the Canadiens as a rookie in 2023-24, scoring four goals and adding five assists. Roy went to training camp in September 2024 with a job to lose — and that’s precisely what occurred as he was one of Montreal’s final cuts.
The 6-foot, 187-pound Roy had 20 goals and 35 points in 47 games with Laval last season while adding two goals in 12 games for the Canadiens. He played three games for Montreal this season and didn’t register a point while averaging 9:47 of ice time.
“I just need to play my game and help my team to win every game,” Roy said. “We all want the same goal — to win the (Calder) Cup. And I think we have everything in this lineup. Everybody needs to bring what they can bring, and I think it’s going to go well for the playoffs.
“I don’t think about (the Canadiens) to be honest,” he added. “I just think about the moment here in Laval. I’m just focused on becoming a better hockey player.”
While Roy said he’s playing with blinders, simply focused on the immediate task of helping the Rocket win, his personal situation is looming in the background. Roy’s in the final year of his entry-level contract and is eligible to become a restricted free agent this summer.
While there’s no doubt Roy can help Laval and will continue being a productive AHL player, do the Canadiens see a future with him, especially if he never becomes a regular at the NHL level with the organization? And has the time come for Roy to seek a fresh start with another organization?
“For sure, it’s a big end of the season for me, especially for that,” he said. “I try not to think about it. I think it’s normal to think a little bit about it. Do what I can do and bring my 100 per cent every day, and good things can happen.
“I want a chance in the NHL. I want to have a good rest of the season and prove to Montreal, or whatever team it is, that I can play in the NHL.”
Although Laval (41-21-5) is without goalie Jacob Fowler, defencemen Adam Engstrom and David Reinbacher — who are with the Canadiens — and injured top centre Laurent Dauphin, the team has remained competitive and sits atop the North Division standings with two games remaining at Toronto on Saturday and Sunday. The Rocket has a three-point lead over Syracuse, which also has two games left.
“The key is to always find a way, to develop a way of playing, that regardless of who’s in the lineup and who’s not, they still believe we’ve got a chance,” Vincent explained. “Because we stick to our systems.
“Nobody’s talking about this. We know (who’s missing), but we’re still in first place. So they believe. It’s not taxing. It’s keeping them honest. We don’t have a negative mindset where we’re missing so many guys. What’s the point?
hzurkowsky@postmedia.com
Editor’s Picks
The post Joshua Roy on a roll as Laval Rocket fuels up for playoff run appeared first on Montreal Gazette.