Ducks Draft Pick’s Disneyland Debut Delights Hockey World

Following his selection, a top prospect embarked on a magical celebration, hinting at the start of a promising NHL career. The Anaheim Ducks’ strategic choice led to an unforgettable experience, illustrating the unique rewards awaiting young hockey stars.

McQueen’s Anaheim Adventure

After the Anaheim Ducks chose him tenth overall, Roger McQueen experienced a delightful surprise. The center from the Western Hockey League’s Brandon team, along with his parents, enjoyed a helicopter ride to Disneyland in Anaheim. Roger and his family spent the night at a Disneyland resort. Pictures and videos surfaced mid-draft, showing McQueen interacting with Donald Duck in front of Sleeping Beauty’s Castle.

Many wondered where the skilled McQueen, standing at 6’5″ and weighing 198 pounds, would be selected. He had been limited to just 17 games during his draft year due to a lower back fracture.

“Certainly, had he not gone through the injuries, he arguably would have been in the top four, top five in this draft,”

—Pat Verbeek, Ducks General Manager

Verbeek also noted, “He’s a unique package in the sense that he moves really well for a 6-foot-5 guy, he has really good skill and he has the ability to be able to score. He’s going to play a little different game than some of the guys we have now.”

College Hockey’s Strong Showing

Ten current or committed NCAA Division I players were selected in the initial round, the third-highest number in college hockey history, and the most since 2016. In 2016 and 2007, the opening round featured eleven college players.

Will Smith, who had 37 points in 37 games as a freshman at Boston College, was the first college player picked by the Bruins. He was among five rising sophomores called in the first round. The others included defenseman Logan Hensler (Ottawa Senators, No. 23), forward William Horcoff (Pittsburgh Penguins, No. 24), defenseman Sascha Boumedienne (Winnipeg Jets, No. 28), and forward Cullen Potter (Calgary Flames, No. 32).

“The main reason I wanted to play college hockey is because I want to be in the NHL someday,”

—Cullen Potter, Arizona State Forward

He added, “Taking that next step in my development to play against guys that are closer to the NHL is what I wanted to do. I think I developed a lot as a player and am working towards playing in the NHL.”

Goalie Prospects Shine

For only the second time in the past 13 drafts, multiple goaltenders were chosen in the first round. The Blue Jackets picked Pyotr Andreyanov, who had a 1.75 GAA and .942 save percentage in Russia’s junior league, at No. 20. Joshua Ravensbergen was selected by San Jose at No. 30 after posting a 3.00 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage.

This situation had last occurred in 2021. At the time, Sebastian Cossa (Detroit Red Wings, No. 15) and Jesper Wallstedt (Minnesota Wild, No. 20) were drafted.

“I think the scouts have done their homework throughout the year, in the last two years, really,”

—Mike Grier, San Jose GM

Grier continued by saying, “As we followed our board, he was the best player available. We’re not at the stage to whatever other people might think our need is in the organization. We’re taking the best player here.” The 2025 draft saw 24 goalies picked, though the record remains 36 from 1993.

Canada’s Strong Showing

For the first time in 38 years, at least twenty Canadian-born players were drafted in the first round. This marks only the fourth instance in NHL history where Canada has produced so many first-round picks, following 1987 (21), 1982 (20), and 1979 (20). Twelve Canadian players were selected among the top 15.

In addition, the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) had 21 first-round picks, just one short of the 22 achieved in 2013. Nine players came from the OHL and WHL each, while three were from the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League. Since 1969, this is the fifth time 21 CHL players were chosen in the opening round. In the 2025 draft, Canada produced 88 players, which is the most since 89 were chosen in 2016. The Canadian dominance shows in the fact that the country has provided 56.5% of the players drafted into the NHL Source: TSN.

Sweden’s Rising Stars

Sweden’s run of at least one player in the first round ended in 2024. The earliest pick was forward Lucas Pettersson to the Anaheim Ducks in the second round (No. 35). This year, two Swedish players were selected in the first round – Anton Frondell (No. 3, Chicago Blackhawks) and Victor Eklund (No. 16, New York Islanders), both from Djurgarden in Sweden’s second division.

Over seven rounds, 27 Sweden-born players were selected, ranking third among countries behind Canada (88) and the United States (50). Frondell and Eklund became the 15th pair of Swedish teammates to be taken in the NHL Draft’s first round. This has now happened in four of the past five drafts, including Otto Stenberg and David Edstrom of Frolunda Jr. (2023), Noah Ostlund and Liam Ohgren of Djurgarden Jr. (2022), and Jesper Wallstedt and Fabian Lysell.

“I think it’s important,”

—Anton Frondell

He added, “It shows how good of a country we are at ice hockey. We were close to winning the (IIHF) World Championship this year. We didn’t do it. We lost against the U.S. in the semis, but Sweden is a good country in hockey.”