The first round of the NHL Draft took place on Friday, with the Anaheim Ducks selecting Roger McQueen 10th overall, and while the moment of walking across the stage is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, the following 48 hours were also pretty outstanding.
The magic started off right as McQueen’s name was called; the selection was announced by none other than “Mighty Ducks” stars Joshua Jackson and Marguerite Moreau, paying homage to the movie that the team was named after.
Right after that, McQueen was ushered to a private helicopter that took him to Disneyland, where he was greeted by Donald Duck and got to experience the “Happiest Place on Earth.”
It was also at Disneyland that the rookie, who plays center, met with the inspiration behind his No. 95 jersey.
That would be Lightning McQueen.
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Roger McQueen meets Lightning McQueen at Disneyland. (Anaheim Ducks) -
Ducks rookie Roger McQueen poses at Cars Land at Disneyland. (Anaheim Ducks) -
Ducks Rookie Roger McQueen meets Los Angeles Angels shortstop Zach Neto. (Anaheim Ducks) -
Ducks rookie Roger McQueen sights dolphins in Newport Harbor. (Anaheim Ducks)
After meeting with Lightning (they are not believed to be related), the teenaged Canadian “got the full Orange County experience” with a boat ride around Newport Harbor, the team said in a media release.
On Sunday, he got to throw out the first pitch at the Angels game while also chopping it up beforehand with Angels shortstop Zach Neto. He was also joined at the game by his fellow Ducks rookies Eric Nilson and Alexis Mathieu, who were picked 45th and 136th overall, respectively.
McQueen, 18, previously played for the Brandon Wheat Kings of Canada’s Western Hockey League.
The upcoming NHL season is slated to start on Oct. 7.