One day after the free agent signing period began, Blues General Manager Doug Armstrong agreed to a deal in principle with center Derek Roy.

Roy, 30, has played in 591 career NHL games and has recorded 168 goals and 287 assists (455 points). His best season came as a member of the Buffalo Sabres, when he registered 81 points in 78 games played during the 2007-08 season.

Shortly after agreeing to a deal with the Blues, Roy took some time to answer a few questions here at stlouisblues.com. Here is our interview.



STLOUISBLUES.COM: What stood out about the Blues and St. Louis that made it an attractive place to continue your career?

DEREK ROY: The Blues have a great young team with tons of talent and great fans. They also are well coached and have a good organization.



BLUES: How familiar are you with your Blues teammates and Coach Hitchcock? Explain what it's like to play against the Blues.

DR: I'm familiar with a couple players such as Jordan Leopold, Jay Bouwmeester and Maxim Lapierre. Also, Ken Hitchcock coached me at the World Championships in Halifax. That was a great experience. The Blues are tremendously hard to play against. They're very tough physically and defensively.



BLUES: If you could pick a favorite moment from your nine-year NHL career, what would it be and why?

DR: My favorite NHL moment has to be the long playoff runs I had in Buffalo. It's the best time of the year and the hockey is at its highest level.



BLUES: Your bio on Twitter says you worked at a strawberry patch. Tell us about that experience.

DR: I managed a strawberry patch during my junior offseason near my house in Ottawa. I had to take orders, handle the cash register and tell people where they could pick the strawberries. It was fun!



BLUES: Tell us what's on your iPod right now.

DR: Kings of Leon.



BLUES: If you could pick three (dead or alive) you’d like to join your golf foursome, who would they be?

DR: My golf foursome would include Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky, Mike Meyers and myself.



BLUES: Tell us a fun fact that not many people know about you (don't say you worked at a strawberry patch. We already know that).

DR: I was in a band when I played for the Rochester Americans in the American Hockey League. Band members included (Sabres goalie) Ryan Miller and (hockey players) Tom Askey and Steve Lingren. We called ourselves "Power Struggle." I was a singer and played the drums.



BLUES: Who is your all-time favorite Blues player?

DR: It has to be Adam Oates...what a great playmaker and a very intelligent player.



BLUES: Do you have any favorite restaurants in St. Louis from your trips in town as a visiting player?

DR: I've never spent much time in St. Louis because I haven't played many games there, so I don't have any favorite restaurants yet. I'm sure the boys on the team will inform me of the good eats in the city.



BLUES: As a new member of a young team on the rise, what are your expectations for the upcoming season?

DR: Our expectations are high and they should be. We have a great team that is very skilled and plays hard in all areas of the game. The Stanley Cup is our ultimate goal.