IRVINE, Calif. — There were only whispers of Beckett Sennecke being picked third overall by the Ducks last summer, but a year on, he’s not sneaking up on anyone after establishing himself as one of the premier players in junior hockey.
Sennecke went from 68 points to 86 points in seven fewer games during the Ontario Hockey League regular season. Then, he exploded for nearly two points per game during a run to the J. Ross Robertson Cup finals.
The 19-year-old said he “got stronger throughout the season,” working on a training regimen the Ducks gave him to ensure he could “compete at a higher level.”
“I got better at puck protection, I was able to keep guys on my hip to create more time and space with the puck,” said Sennecke, adding that he was trying to better balance the power of his shot and the quickness of its release.
Sennecke has a number of potential paths for next season, which could see him spend the entire year back at the junior level, a full campaign with the parent club or some sort of interstitial approach. The Ducks limited center Leo Carlsson’s workload in Year 1 and had Tristan Luneau on a plan that would have played the defenseman in the NHL, AHL and World Juniors before returning him to the junior ranks (it was disrupted by a knee infection).
“That’s up to the coaching staff and the GM. I’m just trying to come in here and prove myself, to show them what I can do to the best of my ability,” Sennecke said.
The Ducks could opt for a track similar to Luneau’s, giving Sennecke an early-season cup of coffee with the main squad, a conditioning stint in the minors and then a chance to compete for gold with his peers. Last season, despite his draft standing and early excellence, Sennecke was not named to Team Canada, which disappointed by failing to medal.
So, did that motivate him to deliver down the stretch?
“A little bit, but it was another situation that was out of my control,” Sennecke said. “There’s not much I can do except go out there and show them what I can do on the ice. That’s what my response was.”
Sennecke was also suspended multiple times during the season, including once for a slew foot. His physical play factored into not only his two-way game — he blew up one of the OHL’s toughest players in New York Islanders first-rounder Kashawn Aitcheson and then scored a goal in a playoff matchup — but also into his leadership style.
“I don’t ever go out there and intentionally try to hurt someone. I’m a competitive player, and there were just a couple times where I made a mistake,” Sennecke said.
Knowing Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek, a little blurring of lines was likely seen as a feature rather than a bug. Verbeek drafted another skilled but physical prospect this year, snatching up towering center Roger McQueen at No. 10 overall.
“I played with him at U17s,” Sennecke said. “I was talking to him before the draft a little bit, because he was aware where Anaheim was picking and I had a feeling like they were going to pick him because he’s their type of player.”
While Sennecke ascended the draft board rapidly, McQueen fell from a surefire top-five selection due to a back injury that cost him most of his season and complications that cut his playoff participation short.
McQueen’s, however, wasn’t the deepest plunge year over year. Winger Émile Guité may well hold that title, and if he can level out his efforts, he could hold another: that of the fifth round’s biggest steal.
Guité won the Sidney Crosby Trophy as the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League’s rookie of the year in 2024, but saw his production decline from 57 points to just 30 in his all-important draft year.
He said that he played through a series of nagging injuries that have been ameliorated by working with physical therapists back in Quebec, and that he also faced greater scrutiny from opponents.
“People knew that I had a great first season, so they were on me more, watching me closer,” Guité said. “That said, I just need to play better, play more intensely and more competitively.”
Guité said in addition to injury prevention and strength training, he felt he had made strides in his defensive game to complement the offensive flash he showed as a rookie.
“Last season, I had a tough start and it went to my head. It was hard mentally and hard physically; I had some ups and downs,” Guité said. “It was a rough year, but I’ve learned and I’m super excited to get started with this team.”