Derek Roy

Junior

Roy led the Kitchener Rangers of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with 87 points during the 1999–2000 season, and won the OHL Rookie of the Year trophy. The next season, he scored 42 goals and 81 points whereupon he was drafted 32nd overall by the Buffalo Sabres in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft at the end of the season. The next season, 2001–02 Roy set his OHL career highs of 43 goals and 89 points and continued to be the Rangers' leading scorer.

In the Fall of 2002, Roy played for the Sabres in their pre-season games. Despite his strong showing, he returned to the Rangers for the 2002–03 season, his last in the OHL. Roy captained the Rangers to an OHL championship, amassing 32 points in 21 playoff games en route to also capturing the Memorial Cup, where he also won the Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy as the tournament's MVP.

Buffalo Sabres

Roy began the 2003–04 season with the Sabres' then-minor league affiliate, the Rochester Americans in the American Hockey League (AHL). After scoring at a point-per-game pace after 26 games with the Americans, he was called up to the NHL and played the majority of the season in Buffalo, tallying 19 points in his 49-game rookie season.

Roy was back with the Americans the next season due to the 2004–05 NHL lockout. He failed to make the Sabres out of training camp when NHL play resumed in 2005–06. After scoring 20 points in eight games with the Americans, including a multiple five-point performances), he was recalled to the Sabres. He finished the season with his first two NHL hat-tricks on March 3, 2006, against the Toronto Maple Leafs and March 9 against the Tampa Bay Lightning, respectively. Roy then complemented a 46-point second-year season with 15 points in the 2006 Stanley Cup playoffs as the Sabres advanced to the Eastern Conference Semifinals, but lost to the eventual Stanley Cup champions, the Carolina Hurricanes.

In 2006–07, Roy improved to 63 points as the Sabres captured the Presidents' Trophy with the NHL's best regular season record. Meeting the Ottawa Senators in the Sabres' second consecutive Eastern Conference Semifinals appearance, Roy scored the fastest goal to start a playoff game in franchise history, nine seconds into Game 4 (the League record was previously six seconds). After the Sabres were eliminated by the Senators, Roy agreed to a six-year, $24 million contract extension with the Sabres on July 27, 2007.

In his first season under the new contract, Roy led the Sabres in points (81) and was second in goals (32) and assists (49). With the departures of co-captains Chris Drury and Daniel Briere to the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers, respectively, the Sabres failed to make the 2008 playoffs.

During the 2010–11 season, after leading the Sabres in points for the first 35 games, Roy suffered a torn quad tendon that would put him out for the rest of the regular season. He would return for just the seventh game of the Sabres' Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series against Philadelphia, which would prove to be the last game of their season.

Later years

Approaching the last year of his contract, on July 2, 2012, Roy was traded by the Sabres to the Dallas Stars in exchange for Steve Ott and Adam Pardy. Due to the effect of the 2012–13 NHL lockout, Roy played in just 30 games with the Stars in the 2012–13 season before, on April 2, 2013, he was traded to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for prospect Kevin Connauton and a second-round draft pick in 2013. Roy registered an assist in his first game as a Canuck, against the Edmonton Oilers.

Left to explore free agency by the Canucks, on July 6, 2013, Roy and the St. Louis Blues agreed in principle to a one-year, $4 million contract. On July 11, he officially signed the deal.

After a single season with the Blues, Roy was again a free agent, whereupon he signed a one-year, $1 million contract with the Nashville Predators on July 15, 2014. Well into the 2014–15 season, on December 29, 2014, he was then traded to the Edmonton Oilers.

Roy was offered a Professional Try-Out contract with the Washington Capitals during the preseason of the 2015–16 season, but was cut after the last game of the preseason, whereupon he signed with Swiss club SC Bern of the NLA on October 9, 2015.

International play

In Roy's last year of major junior hockey, he was selected to play for Canada at the 2003 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He brought home a silver medal and received player of the game honours with a crystal puck.

Roy made his next international appearance at the 2008 World Championships with Canada's men's team. In the quarter-finals, he scored a hat-trick against Norway in an 8–2 win. Roy earned another silver medal with Canada as they were defeated in overtime of the gold medal game by Russia.

Roy was also selected for the 2010 Winter Olympics summer roster for Canada in August 2009, though he did not make the final roster cut.

Personal

Roy is a native of Rockland, Ontario. He used to sponsor the minor hockey team in Clarence Creek, the "Clarence Castors" or Clarence Beavers; he would supply the players with sticks.

Awards