Anaheim Ducks rookie camp began on Thursday, Sept. 12 and the prospects played their first “Rookie Faceoff” game against the prospects from the Colorado Avalanche on Friday, Sept. 13.
Takeaways from the Ducks 4-3 Victory over the Colorado Avalanche in Rookie Faceoff
Along with the on-ice debut of the team’s brand-new white road jerseys and uniforms, the coaching staff awarded captaincies among the rookie team to three of their most highly touted prospects.
Defenseman Tristan Luneau was assigned the “C” as the team’s captain with defenseman Tyson Hinds and forward Cutter Gauthier each wearing an “A” on their jerseys.
“They’re guys who have been to rookie camps before,” Ducks Rookie Faceoff head coach Matt McIlvane said after the Ducks 4-3 victory over the Avalanche. “They’re guys who we feel can step into our locker room and provide some leadership. They’re guys who can provide a calm example and then go perform. I thought all of them did. They provided the leadership we thought that they would.”
Tristan Luneau (20) has battled his fair share of adversity in his young hockey career thus far. Once the first overall pick in the QMJHL draft, he underwent knee surgery during his junior career playing for Gatineau Olympiques, likely costing him significant NHL draft stock before he was eventually selected in the second round (53rd overall in 2022) by the Anaheim Ducks.
Tristan Luneau’s 2023-24 Season is Likely Over
He made the Ducks opening night roster in 2023-24 with a calculated development plan that was to see him sent to Sweden with Team Canada for the 2024 World Junior Championship as a (or the) key piece on their blueline. His knee became infected in transit and he was shut down for the remainder of the season.
Luneau checked in for Ducks rookie camp weighing 215 pounds, up 24 pounds from the team’s 2023 rookie camp. His hard work to come back stronger is paying off thus far as his skating is more explosive than ever and he’s imposing his will physically in the Rookie Faceoff.
Tyson Hinds (21) is in the midst of his fourth rookie camp following his AHL rookie season in 2023-24 which saw him play all 71 of the San Diego Gulls games, scoring ten points.
Hinds was selected in the third round (76th in ’21) by the Anaheim Ducks, who valued his motor and defensive prowess in the hard areas of the ice.
“It’s my fourth rookie camp. A lot of guys are new here or younger, so they’re nervous,” Hinds said of his selection as a captain in the tournament. “I’m just trying to keep them cool and not nervous. Telling them to play hard, play good, have fun, and good stuff is going to happen. Trying to give that mentality to the younger guys.”
Cutter Gauthier (20) is the only member of the Ducks rookie camp fully expected to make the team’s NHL opening night lineup.
Ducks’ Gauthier Speaks at NHLPA Rookie Showcase
The 2024 Hobey Baker finalist is one of three players at the Ducks rookie camp with NHL experience (Tristan Luneau and Sam Colangelo), playing one game at the end of the 2023-24 season for the Ducks.
He was selected near the top of the draft (5th in ’22) by the Philadelphia Flyers and was traded to Anaheim in exchange for Jamie Drysdale and a 2025 second-round pick shortly after his gold medal performance at the 2024 World Junior Championship, where he also wore an “A” on his chest.
After one game in the Rookie Faceoff, Gauthier currently leads the tournament in points after notching a goal and an assist against the Avalanche and is tied for the lead in shots on goal with five.
The Ducks prospects will play their next game on Sunday against 2024 first-overall pick Macklin Celebrini and the prospects from the San Jose Sharks, widely considered a top-three prospect pool in the NHL.
