Roxburgh served as president of the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association from 1960 to 1962, arranged exhibition games between Canada and the Soviet Union amid an increased rivalry between the respective national teams, and pushed for the separation of politics and sport when the Cold War threatened to cancel the 1962 Ice Hockey World Championships.

He was elected three times, defended the Canadian tobacco industry, pushed for university students registering as voters, and lobbied for increased grants to promote physical fitness in Canada.

During the Great Canadian Flag Debate of 1964, Roxburgh introduced legislation to declare ice hockey as the national game of Canada after he disproved the myth that lacrosse held the distinction.

Roxburgh was involved in negotiations for the two organizations to merge, founding the Ontario Minor Hockey Association (OMHA) on November 30, 1940.

[11] Historian and writer Scott Young credited Roxburgh for being an astute businessman and improving the OHA's finances by increasing profits from the playoffs in junior ice hockey.

Roxburgh later announced the Trail Smoke Eaters were chosen to represent Canada, and would participate in a profitable exhibition tour.

[31] Roxburgh travelled with Trail on the exhibition tour of Europe, and felt they were a balanced team that could play physical hockey.

Roxburgh responded by calling the Swedish players weak, and offered to arrange to a trip to Canada where Sweden could learn how to play hockey.

[33] The tour continued into the Soviet Union, and after Trail lost to HC Dynamo Moscow by a 3–2 score, Roxburgh said, "the Russians have come a long way and are able to give and take body checks just as we do".

[34] He told reporters in Czechoslovakia that either Canada or the Soviet Union national ice hockey team would win the gold medal at the 1961 World Championship.

[35] His prediction proved correct when Canada won the gold medal over the Czechoslovakia men's national ice hockey team.

[37] After the tour completed, Roxburgh stated he was opposed to more exhibition games in Sweden in the upcoming winter season due to issues regarding physical play, and didn't want to risk more problems.

[49] Roxburgh stated the CAHA had dropped out of the bid to host the 1962 World Championships when AHAUS proposed to subsidize the cost for European teams to travel to Colorado.

When the Berlin Wall was constructed in 1961, NATO responded with travel restrictions which prevented the East Germany national ice hockey team from attending the World Championships.

[53] Roxburgh felt that politics should not affect sports, and the decision went against the goodwill and relations established by Canadian teams travelling behind the Iron Curtain.

[58] The CAHA went ahead with the Galt Terriers North American tour, and hoped to benefit from ticket sales at exhibition games.

Roxburgh travelled with the team, even though he failed to secure extra funding from Kenneth Farmer and the National Advisory Council on Fitness and Amateur Sport.

[63] In April 1962, Roxburgh announced the schedule for the 1962 Memorial Cup between the Hamilton Red Wings and the Edmonton Oil Kings, with all games played at Maple Leaf Gardens and broadcast by CFTO-TV.

[67] In May, the CAHA approved a recommendation by Roxburgh to set up a committee to explore balanced competition in the Memorial Cup playoffs in the wake of regional disparities across Canada.

[68] At the 1962 annual general meeting of the CAHA, delegates had lengthy discussions on the future of the Canadian national team at the Winter Olympics and World Championships.

He explained that since Canada pays its hockey players an allowance to compensate for lost salary it violated the oath, and that by the CAHA turning a blind eye to regulations, it set a bad example for youth.

[69] Roxburgh mentioned a proposal from Father David Bauer to form a hockey team of the best student players available, and to train and complete schooling at the University of British Columbia.

[81] Roxburgh began his political aspirations while still president of the CAHA, and skipped the 1962 Memorial Cup banquet due to preparations for the 1962 Canadian federal election.

[82] He was elected to the 25th Canadian Parliament on June 18, 1962, as the Liberal Party of Canada candidate in the riding of Norfolk, earning 10,882 votes.

[1] In September 1964, Roxburgh supported legislation by Harry Hays, the Minister of Agriculture of Canada, to guarantee loans for groups of three or more farmers buying farm machinery.

[87] In November 1964, a parliamentary committee was considered to investigate the structure of professional and amateur hockey relationship with respect to the contracts of junior-aged players.

Red Kelly supported an inquiry saying that many Canadians opposed a system that tied a young man to an NHL team for life.

[91] On October 28, 1964, Roxburgh moved to introduce Bill C–132, with respect to declaring hockey as the national game of Canada, and submitted his opening resolution.

[1] In April 1967, Roxburgh introduced Bill C–289, to amend the Canada Elections Act in favour of university students registering as voters.

He compared this to ministers and teachers being able to move into a new constituency between the beginning of the campaign period and polling day, and register as voters.