Ducks first-round pick C Roger McQueen picked No. 95 as his jersey number as a way to pay “homage to the Disney character” Lightning McQueen from “Cars,” according to Christopher Detwiler of NHL.com. That came a day after McQueen, the 10th pick in last Friday’s event, “took a short helicopter ride to Disneyland” from the Peacock Theater in L.A., where prospects were huddled. During that trip, he was able to “meet Lightning in the flesh.” McQueen formally debuted his new number at Sunday’s Nationals-Angels game when he threw out the ceremonial first pitch (NHL.com, 6/29). CBC.ca’s Aliyah Marko-Omene wrote the “hype surrounding McQueen’s last name seems to have only just begun.” A TikTok video from the NHL of McQueen being picked for the Ducks has “already racked up over 1.4 million views.” Roger’s father Scott McQueen said that he “never expected the connection to Disney would be as big as it has.” He added, “Social media is crazy now and everything just fires up and then it just explodes” (CBC.ca, 6/30).
Ducks draft pick strengthens Disney connection with clever jersey number
