One way or the other, this will be the summer that changes everything for Joshua Roy. And for a player whose commitment level has at times been questioned, it appears that he has put in the work to make it a positive outcome.
A fifth-round pick in the 2021 draft for the Montreal Canadiens, Roy is entering the final season of his entry level contract. After three seasons of lower-level promise that he has had trouble repeating in the NHL, Roy spent the past few months completely rewriting the narrative surrounding his career.
Over the offseason, under the intense surveillance of trainer John Chaimberg — known for his work with UFC legend Georges St-Pierre and NHLer Kris Letang — Roy shaved off several pounds, dropping from 204 to 190, while adding lean strength and dramatically improving his skating and stamina. All in all, it was a pleasant surprise for Chaimberg.
“I didn’t know what to expect with Josh,” Chaimberg admits. “I had heard rumors about him that he wasn’t in good shape and needed to work on some things. I gave him a try, and I wasn’t sure I’d take him under my wing.”
Chaimberg is glad that he took a chance with the young winger, touting Roy, who turned 22 in early August, as “the MVP of our summer.”
“Frankly, I’ve never seen such an improvement in one summer,” Chaimberg added.
Joshua Roy Approaches Training Camp Determined to ‘Change My Game’
If pace was Roy’s Achilles heel — as it seemed just a year ago — he’s now sprinting ahead of that reputation. He dialed in on nutrition, stripped out carbs, controlled portions, and built a physical baseline worthy of camp competition.
“I’m going to be a lot faster,” Roy confidently declared. “I feel it every time I step on the ice. I’m leaner, faster. It’s going to change my game.”
And a change would do Roy good, because despite all the talent he displayed in juniors, it has never quite translated it to pro pace.
Roy set a franchise record with the Lévis Chevaliers of the Quebec Junior AAA Hockey League in 2018-19 while leading the league in scoring with 88 points. He won the Jean Béliveau Trophy as the leading scorer in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League for the 2021-22 season, finishing with 51 goals and 68 assists for 119 points in 66 games. He was also a two-time winner of the Paul Dumont Trophy and first team all-star selection in the QMJHL.
However, Montreal scouts and team officials grew concerned: could he sustain pro-level structure and compete shift after shift? Last season that question lingered, as he failed to stick with the Canadiens out of training camp, then showed inconsistent flashes during his 12 games of call-up time in the NHL.
But now, critics are hopeful.
Joshua Roy Impresses Analysts With Speed and Compete Level
During his latest stint with Laval, he produced 20 goals and 15 assists in 47 AHL games, was clutch in the playoffs, and even earned some props as a two-way specialist with smarts and finesse. At development media camps, analysts described Roy as a “breakout candidate” if he could bring his speed and compete level to camp ice.
The clock is ticking, and the competition, including the recently acquired Zach Bolduc, will not make it any easier for Roy, who was part of the final group to be sent down in 2024. But this Roy is not last year’s Roy. He’s leaner, faster, fitter — and hungrier. Chaimberg demanded it every morning in the gym; Roy responded. He’s shifted the internal narrative from “high-IQ, low-effort” to “high-IQ, high-execution.”
This time he won’t be outskated by expectations.
Intense Summer Turns Canadiens’ Underachiever Into Potential Breakout Star