Photo: LA Kings Insider
Newly minted Washington Capitals defenseman Matt Roy appeared on John Scott’s “Dropping The Gloves” podcast a week after signing a six-year contract with the Washington Capitals. The 29-year-old discussed getting drafted, his new contract, and fellow ex-Los Angeles Kings teammate and new Capitals center Pierre-Luc Dubois.
Roy, who was drafted in the seventh round (194th overall) in the 2015 NHL Draft, told the hosts that he was “not really” surprised that he was taken. “I mean, the year before when I played juniors, I had missed pretty much the first half of that season with different injuries. So going into school, I didn’t really have too much junior experience. So going in, I just wanted to just play good, simple hockey. And I ended up playing with Shane Hanna, who I played with him all three years there. And he was a very deep partner and helped me a lot. And yeah, I just kind of played my game, played a more defensive role, I would say. And I don’t think I had any goals my first year.”
Roy talked about leaving Southern California after spending the first six seasons of his NHL career there. “No, yeah, it was, you know, [Los Angeles GM Rob Blake] did come at me with an offer. And, you know, it was really hard to leave LA because I’ve had such great experiences there and all my teammates have been great,” he said. “But I ultimately decided it was just time for my wife and I to get out of California and try something new. So that was tough, but, you know, we made that decision. And, you know, we knew that there were some teams interested. At the end of the day, I think when I heard Washington was interested, it just kind of, it just felt like a great fit for me and my wife.”
He continued, saying “I’ve heard nothing but great things about the organization and the players in the area. So it was, to me, it was just kind of a no brainer when I heard they were interested. I just wanted to go there.”
When asked whether why he joined a team on the very edge of a rebuild, Roy told Scott “Well, I mean, money ($34 million over contract) definitely talks, but to me a lot of it is just like, if I’m gonna sign a long-term deal, I wanna be somewhere that I think my wife will be happy. I think I’ll be happy. Just fitting into the room and the culture, I think that’s a huge thing. And the team itself, I think there’s a ton of potential. And I think you saw that with the trades this year and the free agent pickups, I think they made a lot of great moves and I think it’s really gonna push the team forward.”
On the interest he got on the unrestricted free agent market, Roy acknowledged “We definitely had a few teams to pick from. Just trying to hear everyone’s thoughts on things. And there’s different parts of the country and, you know, there’s Canada, there’s the States. There’s a lot of different factors that go into it. But at the end of the day, it came down to, you know, three teams at the end. And, you know, we decided to move on from LA and Washington just seemed like the best fit.”
Roy also talked about the Capitals’ active offseason, stating “I thought every move they made was great, and I think it’s really going to help the team. So, when you see a team moving in that direction, it just kind of makes me inch more towards them, for sure.”
Regarding the assumption that Dubois is a pain in the locker room, Roy set the record straight, stating: “I feel like the media paints this picture of him, and to me, it couldn’t be further from the truth. You know, he’s a great teammate, he’s a great locker room guy, he gets along with everybody. So in terms of all that, you know, I don’t know where the media is getting all this stuff. You know, if I hated the guy, I probably wouldn’t have come to Washington. You know, he’s one of my friends on the team. And, you know, I really think he’s going to have a bounce back year, and I think he’s really going to be good with the team.”
Roy has one mindset when it comes to playing with Washington captain Alex Ovechkin, who enters this season just 42 goals away from the NHL record: “Win, lose or draw. I don’t care. Get him the puck.”
“I was like, Holy crap, that’s Jill Thornton. I had a poster of you on the wall. Is it going to be nerve wracking walking into the rink, the practice rink, wherever it is, day one, and you see Alex Ovechkin there?,” he said. “I mean, I’m sure it will be a little, but I think it’s also just natural being on a new team with a bunch of guys that I don’t know. There’s [John] Carlson, there’s Ovechkin, there’s a lot of talent there that’s been around for a long time. So I’m sure there will be a little of that, but at the end of the day, everyone’s been welcoming so far.”
You can listen to the full episode here. Roy also discusses facing Edmonton Oilers centers Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in the postseason, living in Los Angeles, and answers some rapid fire light questions.
By Harrison Brown