Career
Roberts played a total of ten games in the National Hockey League with the Boston Bruins, New York Americans, and Chicago Black Hawks, as well as playing sixteen seasons in the minor leagues, most notably for the Cleveland Barons and the New Haven Eagles. His career was interrupted for four seasons after he enlisted in the United States Navy during World World War World War II After the war, he played only one more regular season of professional hockey. On November 25, 1951, Roberts—then an assistant trainer with the Chicago Black Hawks—had to finish the third period for the injured Lumley, at that point the Black Hawks" starter.
Although Roberts didn"t yield a goal, his Hawks still fell to the Detroit Red Wings, 5-2.
The then 45-year-old Roberts, in his last National Hockey League game, became the oldest player ever to play in an National Hockey League game. A record he held until broken by Gordie Howe in 1979, and also passed by Chris Chelios.
He remains the oldest goaltender to play in an National Hockey League game. He also was the final National Hockey League player who was active in the 1920s.
Roberts was inducted into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame in 2005.