18-year-old forward last spoke with Anaheim in early June
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By Pete Jensen
@NHLJensen NHL.com Director, Senior Fantasy Editor
LAS VEGAS – The look said it all: Beckett Sennecke was stunned to be selected by the Anaheim Ducks with the No. 3 pick in the 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft at Sphere on Friday.
“As you could see by my face, I was pretty shocked,” Sennecke said. “It’s a surreal feeling for sure. Something that I’m going to remember for the rest of my life.
"I heard the ‘From Oshawa...’ before my name, so it was just kind of like butterflies and chills.”
The 18-year-old forward, a product of Oshawa from the Ontario Hockey League, was 13th among North American skaters in NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings and said he didn’t even have an interview with the Ducks in the days leading up to the draft. So he never thought they would be an option.
Anaheim general manager Pat Verbeek said Sennecke couldn’t have seen it coming; the last time the Ducks spoke to the prospect was at the NHL Combine, which took place June 3-7.
“I’m sure he was surprised because I know other teams were talking to him,” Verbeek said. “It brings back really good memories to see an authentic reaction like that. It’s always fun for us to see that.”
But there may have been some speculation building with Sennecke’s agent regarding the Ducks, which was a pleasant surprise to the prospect after the fact. Most draft outlets had Sennecke projected to go outside the top 10 or 15.
“I talked to (the Ducks) at the combine, but it wasn’t anything substantial, I would say,” Sennecke said. "My agent – after I was called – I asked him ‘Did you know?’ And he said ‘Of course I knew.’ But you didn’t tell me?” Sennecke laughed.
Beckett Sennecke drafted No. 3 by the Anaheim Ducks
It was the latest early pick surprise at the NHL Draft. In 2022, the Montreal Canadiens took forward Juraj Slafkovsky with the No. 1 pick, when most of the home crowd at Bell Centre expected them to take Shane Wright, who fell to No. 4. Then, in 2023, the Ducks made an unexpected pick at No. 2, taking center Leo Carlsson over Adam Fantilli, who dropped to the Columbus Blue Jackets at No. 3.
Led by Carlsson and fellow forwards Trevor Zegras, Mason McTavish, Troy Terry and Cutter Gauthier(acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers last season), the Ducks have already built a strong young offensive core. Verbeek said he has Sennecke (6-foot-3, 182 pounds) penciled in to play wing in the years to come.
“When you look at a player like him, there’s a lot of upside,” Verbeek said. “He already possesses a lot of elite skills. Now he just has to get in the gym and put some weight on.”
Sennecke admitted he’s still fitting into his new body after a growth spurt over the past two years, saying the changes affected his balance and that he’s a “small person’s player in a big person’s body.”
He also said his performance in the OHL playoffs, when he had 22 points in 16 games and finished tied for fourth in the league’s postseason in goals (10), may have been the reason the Ducks reached for him. Sennecke had 68 points (27 goals, 41 assists) in 63 regular-season games in his second regular season with Oshawa.
“I think it was probably the driving factor,” Sennecke said. “They want someone that will produce in the playoffs and show up when it matters most. I think that’s when my season peaked. I do think I’m a playoff performer.”
Donning Anaheim’s new-look orange jersey with the vintage “Mighty Ducks” logo – the recently released primary jersey is a tribute to the famous Disney movies and teams of the past – Sennecke said he’s thrilled to join forces with so much young talent and be a part of the rebrand of a proud franchise that won the Stanley Cup in 2007.
“The new logo looks good too,” Sennecke said. “They’re in a rebuilding stage, and I’m excited to be a part of that. Whenever they think I’m ready, I’m going to hop in and do my job to the best of my capability.”
NHL.com senior writer Dan Rosen contributed to this report
