Anaheim Ducks Rookie Camp: Observations from Day 1

On defense, Rodwin Dionicio emerged as the day’s standout. His smooth skating and keen ability to read the play made him a dominant force on the blue line. In one notable moment, Dionicio “broke the ankles” of Colangelo in a drill—an ironic and humorous twist, given that both players were the top performers of the day. Dionicio will play for the San Diego Gulls this upcoming season.

Tristan Luneau also deserves a mention, having returned from a knee infection that had kept him sidelined much of last season. His performance on day one showed little signs of rust, adding valuable depth to a promising group of defensemen. According to Patrick Present, Luneau has “tacked on 24 pounds since last training camp and now weighs 215.”

Potential Lines based on Observations:

Power Play & Penalty Kill Units

The power play units remained constant throughout the day, focusing on building chemistry.

This unit produced a highlight-reel moment with a tic-tac-toe goal seen earlier.

The penalty kill pairings shifted frequently, allowing players not on the power play to showcase their defensive abilities. The forwards who saw time on the PK were:

Among the forwards, Carey Terrance and Simon Lovsin stood out with their tenacious play and strong positioning.

On defense, the following players were heavily involved in penalty kill situations:

Konnor Smith and Noah Warren earned the most ice time, often double-shifting, and showed a strong grasp of the penalty-killing system. Their ability to maintain structure and clear the puck under pressure was a highlight of the session.

Goaltending Update

Even with Tomas Suchanek sidelined due to injury for 6 to 8 months, the goalies present—Vyacheslav Buteyets, Calle Clang, and Michael McIvor—held their own. While much of the day’s focus was on defensive pairings and power play drills, each netminder had moments to shine.

• Buteyets impressed with his lateral movement.
• Clang showed calmness under pressure.
• McIvor made several sharp saves in close-quarters situations.

Injury and Roster Notes

Interestingly, camp invitee Jaxsin Vaughan began the day without a bubble helmet but ended with one, likely for precautionary reasons. Nathan Gaucher was unexpectedly absent, despite not being listed as injured. Another surprise was seeing Beckett Sennecke, who was expected to be out for 6-8 weeks, walking around without a boot. Later reports from Derek Lee indicated that Sennecke might be back in 2-4 weeks and could even play in some of the Ducks’ preseason games.

Veterans Join the Ice

Prospects weren’t all that was on the menu, several Ducks veterans took part in impromptu skating and testing drills. Among those seen on the ice were Troy Terry, Leo Carlsson, Trevor Zegras, Mason McTavish, Brock McGinn, Frank Vatrano, Ryan Strome, Lukáš Dostál, Alex Killorn, Brett Leason, Isac Lundeström, Olen Zellweger, Urho Vaakanainen, Jackson LaCombe, Drew Helleson, Pavol Regenda, Gustav Lindström (PTO), Ross Johnston, Judd Caulfield, Jansen Harkins, and Radko Gudas. Cam Fowler was also spotted, putting to rest any rumors of his delay in joining camp with swirling trade rumors.

Final Thoughts

Day one of rookie camp brought a lot of energy, excitement, and some surprises. The standouts, Colangelo and Dionicio, set the tone for what promises to be an exciting camp. With the prospects set to take on the Colorado Avalanche tomorrow at 3:30 PM at the Toyota Performance Center, the excitement is only just beginning. The game will be streamed on AnaheimDucks.com available for everyone!

Thank you for reading, and GO DUCKS!

Full Rookie Camp Details: https://www.nhl.com/ducks/news/ducks-announce-2024-rookie-faceoff-roster-camp-details 

Watch Day #1 Here: