Beckett Sennecke has played a key role in the Anaheim Ducks’ push for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, according to an April 1 report. The 20-year-old forward is experiencing his first National Hockey League season and has helped the team approach its first postseason appearance since 2017-18.
Sennecke’s progress reflects both his own development and that of the team. With eight games left in the regular season, Anaheim leads the Pacific Division by two points over Edmonton. The Ducks will try to extend their lead when they play against San Jose on Wednesday.
Coach Joel Quenneville said, “He’s done a great job. I know that right from camp, he’s gotten better through camp, and he got off to a decent start and had a big stretch for us here. I think through the course of the season, the players were trying to be consistent in our game and with him, his high-end ability to do things that you don’t see very often is fun to watch.” Sennecke himself said, “It’s awesome, being on a competitive team is what we play for. We’re atop the Pacific and we’re having a ton of fun pushing for this playoff race.”
Sennecke was selected third overall by Anaheim in the 2024 NHL Draft and has recorded 57 points (22 goals, 35 assists) in 74 games so far this season. He is tied with Matthew Schaefer of New York for second place among rookies in scoring—one point behind Montreal’s Ivan Demidov—and matches Bobby Ryan’s mark for second-most points by a Ducks rookie.
Quenneville said about Sennecke’s adjustment from junior hockey: “I think you try to make sure there’s a time and a place to apply those things and that’s part of the learning curve with him… There’s a place for it and I think he’ll get better as far as recognizing those situations as we go along here.” Cutter Gauthier added about Sennecke: “You don’t really see that too often, a 19 or 20-year-old kid come into the League and have a ton of confidence… He’s done a great job with the expectations that have been given to him…”
The Ducks are undergoing what appears to be an accelerated rebuild after missing playoffs last year by sixteen points; nearly half their roster is age twenty-five or younger. Young players like Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Mason McTavish, Tim Washe, Olen Zellweger, Pavel Mintyukov, Ian Moore, Jackson LaCombe, Drew Helleson—and goalie Lukas Dostal—form part of this group.
Anaheim set several league records this year: eight game-tying goals inside two minutes remaining (winning six), plus twenty-six late game-winning or tying goals within five minutes left or overtime—all NHL records at this stage.
Looking ahead toward possible playoff participation again after several seasons out of contention reflects growing confidence within both veteran leaders and new talent.
