Roger McQueen made his NHL debut for the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday night. He brought inevitable references to the Pixar classic "Cars" with him.
When McQueen was drafted 10th overall in 2025, the Ducks presented him with a No. 95 jersey -- a reference to the car number of Lightning McQueen, the Owen Wilson-voiced protagonist of the "Cars" movies. After he was selected, the McQueen family went to the 55th floor of The Ritz-Carlton in Los Angeles to board a helicopter and fly to Disneyland in nearby Anaheim, where Roger McQueen met Lightning McQueen.
From the draft stage to DISNEYLAND 😱 Roger McQueen was taken 10th overall by the Anaheim Ducks then RACED to a helicopter to The Happiest Place on Earth! https://t.co/oC7zuyVSCg
— ESPN (@espn) June 28, 2025
McQueen got the call Monday night that he would be elevated from the AHL to play for the Ducks.
"I thought he got better in camp as he went along. He was one of those guys that would be pushing for a job," coach Joel Quenneville said of the center. "Roger's got some upside in what could be a really nice career."
On Tuesday night, before the Ducks' home game against Calgary Flames, McQueen took his customary rookie lap to start warmups -- wearing No. 95 and sans helmet -- while the arena speakers blared "Real Gone" by Sheryl Crow. While not a staple of arena rock playlists, it was wholly appropriate here: "Real Gone" is the opening track from the "Cars" soundtrack album and was featured in the film.
McQueen played 11:26 in his NHL debut with no points and a shot on goal. It wasn't a memorable night for the Ducks as they lost to the moribund Flames 4-2 in front of a sellout crowd.
One game down, many more to go for McQueen. When he was drafted, Roger's father Scott McQueen said that the "Cars" connection intensifies the spotlight on the young center as he begins his career.
"I think everybody kind of wants to fly under the radar and you know, and just play," Scott said via the CBC. "He wants to prove himself as a player and not so much, you know, as a Disney character."
