LA Kings: Matt Roy discusses leader roles at training camp
By Ryan Sikes
After Day 2 of LA Kings training camp, Matt Roy spoke with the media, discussing his role as the team’s player rep and a leader heading into 2021.
It certainly is unusual to be ringing in a new year while discussing NHL training camps. That is, however, the case after a 2020 that was unprecedented, to say the least. Nevertheless, like the other 30 NHL teams, the LA Kings are in full swing, preparing for the new season after a near-10-month absence. Of the Kings rearing to go is returning defenseman Matt Roy.
Of course, while he was excited to get the season underway, Roy did take on a new role during the offseason as the Kings’ NHLPA representative.
“It’s very interesting, to say the least,” Roy told the media on Friday. “I never thought I’d be in a position like that before. But, it was really cool being part of the discussions and trying to work around all the, you know, the different things being thrown at us all summer. So, you know, I was grateful to be in that position and, you know, being a younger guy, I think was pretty cool to be a part of.”
The Detroit native went on to discuss the communication of relaying said information to the rest of his team.
“Some weeks, there’d be a lot of information being thrown at us and other weeks would be kind of quiet,” Roy continued. “Sometimes, things would be certain and sometimes there would just be some tentative plans, so, you know, I just tried to keep the guys in the loop as much as I could, and once things were a bit more certain, I tried communicating a bit more.”
Entering what should be a very pivotal year for the LA Kings, Roy is about to embark on his third season with the club. Having established himself as a regular on the roster, Roy was asked whether he now saw himself as a veteran and what role he will be playing at camp.
“Well, I wouldn’t call myself a veteran,” the defenseman admitted. “But, I feel that I have a lot more experience than I did last year and, you know, I feel like I can help some of the other guys here in camp and kind of show them the way a little bit more and, you know, just kind of take them to the next step as a player.”
It has been a long 10 months for the LA Kings and their fanbase, but there is plenty of confidence knowing that the long wait will be worthwhile. Matt Roy has certainly come into his own as a reliable defenseman. While he may be a bit quieter on the offensive side, the Michigan Tech alum is nonetheless set to make his mark on what should be a very exciting season for the silver-and-black.
Having established trust on the ice with his defensive prowess, Matt Roy has garnered a plethora of trust off the ice, specifically from his role as the Kings’ NHLPA representative. This is only part of what makes Matt Roy a valuable commodity to his team, being just one of the many reasons why the Kings will be even more exciting to watch this coming season.