Roger McQueen didn’t manage to keep the puck that came off this stick for the game-winning goal in the San Diego Gulls’ 2-0 victory over the Henderson Silver Knights in Saturday night’s home opener.
That’s OK. There may be plenty more where that came from for the talented 20-year-old center.
Indeed, the 10th overall pick in the 2025 NHL draft is off to a nice start to his first full professional season.
After producing a goal and two assists during a seven-game Gulls debut late last season, the Saskatoon, Saskatchewan native has three goals in four games for the Gulls (2-1-1-0), who return to Pechanga Arena Wednesday night to face the Ontario Reign.
McQueen credits last season’s short stint, which came after a single season at Providence College, with helping him transition smoothly into summer training and the start of the new campaign.
“It was huge,” McQueen said. “Taking that into the summer, having that chance to dip your toes in the water for those games, feel how the game is played, how fast it is. Taking that into the summer, knowing how you want to play and how fast it is. So you come in with a lot more confidence than maybe starting this season with a clean slate.”
At 6-foot-5 and 197 pounds, McQueen is a long strider who looks more angular than bulky. That style allows him to cover a lot of ice with relatively few pumps of his skates.
On Saturday’s game-winner, which came at 17:07 of the third period, McQueen appeared to glide his way past the red line into the circle area where he slid by a well-positioned defender before gathering a nice pass from Drew Elliot and zipping a shot past Henderson goalie Carl Lindbom. San Diego’s Nico Myatovic had an empty-net goal in the final seconds to make it 2-0.
“Bigger, taller guys don’t look as fast just cuz your legs aren’t moving like a rabbit, 1,000 mph,” McQueen said. “You’re covering a little more ground. So, if you can get a little bit of quickness with those long strides; it goes a long ways. Maybe catch guys a little off guard.”
San Diego Gulls center Roger McQueen celebrates following Saturday night’s win over the Henderson Silver Knights at Pechanga Arena. (San Diego Gulls)
Gulls goalie Damian Clara, who made 25 saves Saturday night to earn his first career shutout win, says the rookie’s combination of length and skill makes him a uniquely tough cover.
“He has a long stick, which means when he’s in tight, he can change the angle on you,” said Clara, who is a lanky 6-foot-6 himself. “That makes it harder. You face guys who aren’t long like that, and then he comes in on you. It can be a shock at first. It takes a positional adjustment. And he has a hard shot too, so it’s a real challenge.”
One area the Gulls will look to improve upon is the power play.
The Gulls went 0-for-5 on the man advantage against Henderson and are 2-for-15 through four games.
“We need to get more shots on net, no question,” assistant coach Kelly Buchberger said. “We’re dealing with a lot of pressure, so we need to move the puck a lot quicker, have more support and just find a way to get more pucks to the net.”
Ballo, Mansour win
El Cajon cousins Julius Ballo and Jonny Mansour remained unbeaten as professional boxers by winning their respective bouts Saturday night at Thunder Studios in Long Beach.
Featherweight Ballo (5-0, 1 KO) displayed a nice mix of speed, footwork and punching power in defeating Carlos Torres via third-round knockout.
Lightweight Mansour (9-0, 3 KOs) showed skill and excellent conditioning to outlast George Rodriquez Pardo via eight-round unanimous decision (80-74, 80-74, 78-74).