Roger McQueen made his NHL debut for the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday night, stepping into the lineup in a home game against the Calgary Flames and wearing No. 95.
The Ducks drafted McQueen 10th overall in 2025, and his rise to the NHL came quickly after that. He got the call Monday night that he would be elevated from the AHL, then skated in front of a sellout crowd one night later.
McQueen played 11:26 in the game and finished without a point, but he did put one shot on goal. For a player making his first NHL appearance, the focus was less on the box score and more on the milestone itself.
The debut also carried a bit of extra attention because of the No. 95 jersey. The number connects McQueen to Lightning McQueen from Cars, a reference that has followed him since the draft and added a Disney and Cars layer to an already notable first game.
After the draft, the McQueen family went to the 55th floor of The Ritz-Carlton in Los Angeles and boarded a helicopter to Disneyland in Anaheim, a reminder of how much attention came with the day the Ducks selected him. Scott McQueen has said the family has tried to keep the focus on hockey, saying, “I think everybody kind of wants to fly under the radar and you know, and just play,” and adding, “He wants to prove himself as a player and not so much, you know, as a Disney character.”
Joel Quenneville said McQueen continued to improve during camp, explaining, “I thought he got better in camp as he went along. He was one of those guys that would be pushing for a job.” That progression helped set up the NHL debut, and it also gives the Ducks another young forward to evaluate as the season moves forward.
For McQueen, the first step is now complete. The next question is how quickly he can turn a first NHL game into a regular role with the Ducks.
