Montreal Canadiens fans are none too pleased with rookie forward Joshua Roy these days after he left dozens of them waiting before heading home in disappointment.
Roy, 21, was scheduled to appear at an autograph signing event at the Universe Collectibles store in Vaudreuil on Sunday. Approximately 60 fans came out to meet the Canadiens player, who was recently sent down to the Laval Rocket. But after more than an hour passed, it was clear that Roy was not showing up.
So they left.
Joshua Roy avait 1 séance de signatures ($) à l'horaire aujourd'hui: Universe Collectibles (Vaudreuil) de 14h30 à 15h30. Il avait signé 1 contrat.
Il n’a toutefois pas donné signe de vie et ne s'est pas pointé.
Une 60aine de fans l’ont attendu 1 heure. Ils ont été remboursés. pic.twitter.com/kkOr2ZwZLs
— Maxime Truman (@MaximeTruman) October 20, 2024
Many caught wind of the story and some fans were quick to come to the youngster’s defence on social media, arguing that unforeseen circumstances could have been the reason for his absence.
“I live in Vaudreuil. With the construction, it is impossible to cross the bridge thanks to our ‘superb’ government,” one fan wrote in an X post. “Do not make false accusations.”
Others speculated that it was his agent’s fault.
“It wasn’t Joshua’s job to look up when/where he had to make an appearance,” a user, who goes by the username @HabsTakes, chimed in.
All you people hating on Joshua Roy don’t realize how busy hockey players are.
It’s literally the reason why they hire agents, to take care of the extra curricular stuff so they can focus on hockey.
No it wasn’t Joshua’s job to look up when/where he had to make an appearance.
— Woliver Wapanen (@HabsTakes) October 21, 2024
With speculation mounting, Roy’s agent, Olivier Fortier, appeared as a guest on BPM Sports Radio on Monday to clear the air about the controversy and provide fans with an explanation.
“This is really not Josh’s fault,” Fortier said. “He’s always very generous with the fans… He was very disappointed to have left people waiting.”
L'agent de Joshua Roy, Olivier Fortier, s'est prononcé sur nos ondes sur l'événement concernant le magasin Universal Collectibles dimanche dernier. 🔵⚪️🔴
Pour réécouter l'extrait 👇👇https://t.co/feZ7hLDqEs pic.twitter.com/jsHOGKjLdb
— BPM Sports (@BPMSportsRadio) October 21, 2024
Still, the former fifth-round pick’s agent kept his explanation vague.
“It’s a contractual misunderstanding and communication issue between the two parties,” Fortier noted. “Upon our understanding, Josh was not supposed to appear there, and could not appear there for contractual reasons I cannot divulge.”
Nevertheless, Roy, who netted nine points in 23 games with the Canadiens last year, is set on making it up to his fans.
“He’s asked our team to find a solution, quickly, to accommodate the people that waited for him,” the player’s agent added. “We will find a way for these people to get their items signed and get a photo.”