Ducks sign top prospect Roger McQueen to AHL tryout deal
A talented collegiate prospect is ready to try his hand at pro hockey.
On Wednesday, the Anaheim Ducks announced that forward Roger McQueen signed an amateur tryout with their American Hockey League affiliate, the San Diego Gulls, where he will remain for the rest of the 2025-26 season.
San Diego, start your engines! Roger McQueen is coming to the @SDGullsAHL after signing an Amateur Tryout Agreement. Details ⬇️ nhl.com/ducks/news/duc…
While McQueen has yet to sign his entry-level contract with the Ducks, the expectation is that he will sign in the near future. Anaheim general manager Pat Verbeek is excited to see what McQueen can do with the Gulls down the stretch.
“It is exciting to welcome Roger to our organization to play professional hockey after a strong freshman season at Providence,” Verbeek said in a release. “Roger will gain valuable experience playing additional games in San Diego, which will be an important step in his development.”
The Ducks took McQueen with the 10th overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. It came after a couple of strong seasons with the Brandon Wheat Kings of the Western Hockey League. The Saskatoon native became one of many major junior players to take advantage of the NCAA’s revised rule, allowing them to play collegiately in the United States.
At Providence College, McQueen was a solid contributor on a team that ended up finishing the regular season with the best record in Hockey East. In 36 games, he scored 11 goals and 16 assists for 27 points, finishing third on the team in scoring behind Chicago Blackhawks prospect John Mustard and Montreal Canadiens draft pick Logan Sawyer. McQueen was named the HEA’s Rookie of the Year, as well as being named to the conference’s all-rookie team.
The Friars didn’t see much success in the postseason. They were upended by Merrimack in the Hockey East Tournament Quarterfinals before being eliminated in the first round of the NCAA Tournament by Quinnipiac last Thursday.
Internationally, McQueen has represented his country a couple of times. Along with playing for Canada White at the 2022 Under-17 World Hockey Challenge, he helped the Canadians win gold at the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and 2024 IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship.
McQueen will be playing some meaningful hockey in the final weeks of the regular season. The Gulls (29-23-8-4) are sitting seventh in the AHL’s Pacific Division, holding onto the last playoff spot in the division.