Mickey Roach was from Glace Bay, Nova Scotia. He was one of the first Nova Scotians to play in the National Hockey League, and there were very few forwards in the NHL better than Roach. In 1919, Roach played with the Hamilton Tigers of the Amateur League, and led his team to the Allen Cup.

The following year, Roach turned professional with the Toronto St. Pat’s. He played in Toronto for one year before returning to Hamilton to play for their newly-established professional team. In 1924, the Hamilton team moved to New York to become the New York Americans.

Roach continued to play in New York until 1927, when he retired from hockey and joined the Canadian Customs office in Sydney. In Roach’s nine years in the NHL, he played a total of 207 games, notching 75 goals and 27 assists. A versatile and all-around athlete, he later joined the Glace Bay baseball team, playing in the Cape Breton Professional League. He was a left-handed star at both first and third base. Mickey Roach is an Original member of the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame.