September 18, 2025
Providence College's Student-Run Newspaper Since 1935
by Flagg Taylor ’27 on September 18, 2025
On June 27, Roger McQueen ’29 was drafted tenth overall by the Anaheim Ducks in the NHL draft. Entering his freshman season for the Friars, McQueen is the first top 10 draft pick in the program’s history, and only the sixth first round pick in program history. Standing tall at six feet six inches, McQueen will play center and wear the number 29. Weighing just around 200 pounds, his size makes this righty center an imposing and dominant presence on the ice. McQueen joins the Friars among many other freshman and transfer signings after an impressive recruiting offseason by coach Nate Leaman and his staff. However, McQueen stands out from the rest as a historic signing for Leaman and Friars hockey.
McQueen was born on Oct. 2, 2006 and grew up in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, a town in central Canada. McQueen was raised in a hockey household and looked up to his father, Scott McQueen, a former hockey player. At the age of two, McQueen began skating at the local river rink in his hometown. At the age of four he picked up a hockey stick and began playing at the river rink, honing his skills to eventually become an NHL star.
At an impressively young age of 15, McQueen signed with the Brandon Wheat Kings in 2021. The Wheat Kings play in the Western Hockey League, a junior hockey league with teams based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that make up the Canadian Hockey League, the highest level of junior hockey in Canada. McQueen’s father Scott also played in the WHL. McQueen’s admiration for his father made playing in the WHL one of his first major goals. During McQueen’s rookie season in 2022–23, he scored four goals and 10 assists. McQueen’s breakout was the 2023–24 season where he recorded a staggering 21 goals and 30 assists in 53 regular season games. After an injury at the tail end of the season, he returned to lead his team in scoring in the playoffs with four goals. In McQueen’s last season with the Wheat Kings (2024–25), he scored four goals in the debut of the season. He continued on with 11 goals and assists before having a season ending injury after only eight games.
McQueen has been selected to represent Canadian Hockey on multiple occasions. McQueen won a gold medal in the 2023 Hlinka Gretzky Cup where he scored four goals and recorded three assists in five games. McQueen also won gold with Canada a second time, representing his country in the 2024 U18 world championship. McQueen’s stellar young career was guaranteed to be noticed by coaches in all NCAA division one and NHL locker rooms. McQueen was slotted in at No. 8 in the pre-NHL draft NHL Central Scouting final rankings. McQueen is scary fast on skates while standing at 6’6” with an enormous wingspan. His impressive physical attributes combined with his passing and playmaking allow him to control the game with ease and composure. He is an electric talent to watch.
Every student at the school should be excited to see McQueen play hockey this season. He will join the team with former Wheat Kings teammate, Quinn Mantei ’29. McQueen also played with Hudson Malinoski ’27 in the 2021–22 season with the Saskatoon Blazers. The hype around McQueen is well deserved and he will make an immediate impact on the roster and on the ice. Although McQueen is expected to sign with the Anaheim Ducks directly following the 2025–26 season, in one year’s time McQueen could very well leave his mark as one of the greatest Friars to play hockey at Providence College.
