Andre Roy joined the Tampa Bay Lightning television broadcast for two games against the Minnesota Wild and New York Islanders, bringing his experience as a 2004 Stanley Cup champion to a new role. Roy played 11 NHL seasons and more than 500 games before transitioning into hockey media. His analyst appearances also gave viewers a chance to see the humor that became part of his identity during his playing career.
Roy helped Tampa Bay secure the 2004 Stanley Cup and recorded 1,169 career penalty minutes during his NHL career. He also developed a reputation for keeping the atmosphere loose around the locker room and with members of the media. That personality remained evident during his time on the broadcast desk.
A new role with the Tampa Bay Lightning
Roy said his first Tampa Bay broadcast analyst experience was different but enjoyable. He acknowledged feeling nervous because the role was new, while crediting the other members of the broadcast team for helping him settle in. Roy also joked about bringing even more humor to future appearances.
“It was different, but it was fun,” he said. “The more I do, I will get better at it and probably be more relaxed because I was a little nervous because it’s new and you don’t know what to expect when you start doing something different. But it turned out good I think. The other guys were great, and I think once I’m really comfortable then I can bring more humor and start doing cartwheels in studio with Paul Kennedy and stuff like that.”
Roy’s quick wit was on display during the Tampa Bay broadcasts, including a pregame moment in which he gobbled like a bird while explaining how he receives two Thanksgiving turkeys as a dual citizen. The moment reflected the lighter side he often brought to the locker room during his playing career. Roy said that approach began when he was young.
“When I was a kid in class I liked to be the clown a little bit and have the class laughing, and in hockey I liked to bring that also in the locker room because it’s a long year,” he said.
From Stanley Cup champion to hockey media
Roy moved into media after his playing career, choosing to remain connected to hockey in a different way. He joined French Canadian media company RDS in 2014 and continues to appear on RDS and multiple hockey podcasts. His media work has allowed him to discuss the sport, his playing experiences and the people he encountered throughout his career.
Roy said his transition developed gradually through television and radio appearances before he established a regular place in hockey media. His comfort with reporters during his playing days helped him recognize that the work could be a natural fit. He also said humor remained an important part of how he approached the role.
“Slowly I transitioned to talking hockey and a little bit of humor, and here I am today, anyways. But I didn’t know what I was going to do after hockey, and it worked out with the media. I was always pretty easy to approach with all the media…I had to kind of make my spot, my move, and I did. It turned out okay for me, I guess.”
Roy’s playing career included 11 NHL seasons, more than 500 games and 1,169 penalty minutes. He also helped the Tampa Bay Lightning win the 2004 Stanley Cup, giving him a direct connection to one of the organization’s championship teams. That background provided a foundation for his analysis during the games against the Minnesota Wild and New York Islanders.
Roy hopes to return to Tampa Bay
Roy said he hopes to return to Tampa Bay in the future, which could lead to additional Tampa Bay Lightning broadcast appearances. He described the media side of hockey as a way to stay connected with former teammates, opponents and other people around the sport. He also emphasized the importance of enjoying the work.
“You’ve gotta have fun in your work to keep your life loose…It’s close to what I grew up with because I remember going to the rink to get comments from guys, and then you meet all kinds of guys that you played with, played against.
“On the media side, everybody knows each other from far away and the hockey world’s small, so I like that side of it. It’s not easy because you’ve gotta prepare and read a lot, but that’s a side of me where my whole career was around having fun and being around the media. So I feel like that transition has been easy for me to do.”
FSB Take
Roy’s two-game analyst appearance connected the Tampa Bay Lightning’s 2004 Stanley Cup history with the team’s current television coverage. His NHL experience gives him hockey credibility, while his years with RDS and on hockey podcasts have prepared him for media work. If Roy returns to Tampa Bay, viewers can expect the same combination of hockey insight and humor that shaped his first broadcast appearances.
Source: Original report