The Anaheim Ducks will start their 2023 rookie camp Thursday at Great Park Ice and FivePoint Arena with each of their three most recent first-round draft choices set to take part.
Center Leo Carlsson was the second overall pick in the 2023 draft after being selected Swedish Junior Hockey Player of the Year in 2022-23 after topping Sweden’s top professional league in his age category in assists with 15 and points with 25 in 44 games.
Defenseman Pavel Mintyukov was the 10th overall pick in the 2022 draft. He was selected as the Defenseman of the Year in the Ontario Hockey League in the 2022-23 season, when he split the season between the Ottawa 67s and Saginaw Spirit, with 24 goals and 64 points in 69 games.
Center Nathan Gaucher was the 22nd overall pick in 2022. He had 22 goals and 24 assists in 44 games for the Quebec Remparts of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
The 25 players set to be in camp also include the other Defenseman of the Year for the other two Canada-based major junior ice hockey leagues — Tristan Luneau of the Gatineau Olympiques of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and Olen Zellweger, who split the 2022-23 season between the Kamloops Blazers and Everett Silvertips of the Western Hockey League.
The camp will begin at 10:45 a.m. and will be open to the public free of charge.
The Ducks will begin play in the Rookie Faceoff tournament Friday against the Vegas Golden Knights rookies at 7 p.m. at the Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, Nevada. They will also face the Colorado Avalanche rookies Sunday at 1 p.m. at City National Arena Rink 1 in Summerlin, Nevada, and the Los Angeles Kings rookies Monday at 12:30 p.m. at City National Arena Rink 2.
All three games will be streamed live on AnaheimDucks.com.