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Ahead taken in fifth spherical of NHL Draft in 2021 has impressed Montreal head coach Martin St. Louis each with and with out the puck.
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Joshua Roy and Connor Bedard nonetheless be in contact.
“He texted me final yr after I bought my first sport within the NHL and my first objective,” the Canadiens’ Roy mentioned throughout a current training-camp interview about Bedard, who was the No. 1 general choose by the Chicago Blackhawks on the 2023 NHL Draft. “We’re not like finest buddies, however generally we textual content one another.”
Roy and Bedard have been linemates when Staff Canada received the IIHF world junior championship in 2023. Bedard led the match in scoring with 9-14-23 totals in seven video games, whereas Roy had 5-6-11 totals.
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“He was unreal,” Bedard informed reporters on the match in Halifax about Roy’s efficiency. “He’s one of many smartest gamers that I’ve bought to play with.”
Roy and Bedard have been each No. 1 general picks of their respective junior leagues. The Saint John Sea Canines took Roy with the primary choose on the 2019 QMJHL Draft, whereas the Regina Pats took Bedard with the primary choose on the 2020 WHL Draft after he was granted Distinctive Participant Standing by Hockey Canada, which made him eligible to play within the junior league at age 15.
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Roy had some struggles throughout his first season within the QMJHL, posting 16-28-44 totals in 60 video games, whereas Bedard had 12-16-28 totals in 15 video games as a 15-year-old with the Pats and adopted that up with 51-49-100 totals in 62 video games the following season.
In Roy’s second junior season, the Sea Canines traded him to the Sherbrooke Phoenix after he had 9-8-17 totals in 15 video games. Roy had 13-5-18 totals in 20 video games with the Phoenix after the commerce, however his inventory was dropping. The Canadiens determined to take an opportunity on the Saint-Georges-De-Beauce native, choosing him within the fifth spherical (one hundred and fiftieth general) of the 2021 NHL Draft.
That’s wanting like a really good move.
“We see the ability that he has,” Trevor Timmins, the Canadiens’ former assistant normal supervisor, mentioned after drafting Roy. “He has pure scoring skill and we expect with our steering he’s going to have the ability to progress his sport on and off the ice.
“We really feel that he’s going to be a late bloomer and he’s bought pure skill,” Timmins added. “I feel this summer time simply actually realizing what it takes to be a professional.”
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Dropping to the fifth spherical of the NHL Draft was a wake-up name for Roy, who realized he may not get by on pure expertise alone and must work a lot more durable on his off-ice coaching. He did that and posted 51-68-119 totals in 66 video games with the Phoenix the season after the Canadiens drafted him.
Roy had a profitable rookie yr within the AHL final season, posting 13-19-32 totals in 41 video games with the Laval Rocket, and in addition performed 23 video games with the Canadiens, posting 4-5-9 totals. He’s anticipated to begin this season with the Canadiens and still have a spot on the ability play.
The 21-year-old Roy mentioned taking part in with Bedard highlighted the way it takes greater than expertise alone to achieve success.
“What impressed me essentially the most is he doesn’t take something with no consideration,” Roy mentioned about Bedard. “He’s nonetheless working onerous. He’s at all times the primary on the ice, the final off the ice. It’s very outstanding.”
Roy’s hockey sense is the strongest a part of his sport and it allowed him to get by totally on ability alone when he had 38-50-88 totals in 42 video games with the midget Triple-A Lévis Chevaliers in 2018-19 earlier than being the No. 1 choose on the QMJHL Draft. He mentioned the commerce from Saint John to Sherbrooke helped him.
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“I feel I realized simply to concentrate on myself and simply work onerous and by no means quit,” he mentioned. “I labored quite a bit on my physique and I feel that helped me quite a bit. I noticed the distinction instantly and since then it’s been fairly good.”
Roy has impressed Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis each with and with out the puck. St. Louis calls Roy a “very clever participant.”
“He’s at all times prepared for what’s subsequent,” St. Louis mentioned. “He doesn’t kill the play. He’s taking part in the sport. If it’s time to chip a puck to hurry he’ll do this. You may see he’s bought poise to purchase a bit of time and hit the man who’s going to be free. He lets the play evolve.”
Veteran defenceman David Savard has additionally been impressed by Roy.
“I feel he’s an increasing number of comfy each sport,” Savard mentioned. “You see him making extra performs, making higher reads. He’s nonetheless actually younger, however he’s simply making good performs on the market. You need gamers like that on the ice. He’s creating with out providing you with turnovers and stuff like this, which generally as a younger man is difficult to do.
“I feel he’s actually becoming in and he’s actually into the system and he’s taking part in nicely for us,” Savard added. “So it’s good to see a younger man are available like this.”
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