Joshua Jackson and Marguerite Moreau swapped District 5 jerseys for Anaheim orange at Los Angeles’ Peacock Theater on Friday, stepping to the microphone at the 2025 NHL Draft to reveal the Ducks’ tenth-overall choice, Brandon Wheat Kings center Roger McQueen. Jackson’s sweater carried “CONWAY 96,” a nod to the character he played in 1992’s The Mighty Ducks—a role he called “a full-circle moment” while greeting fans on the draft’s red carpet.
Inside the arena, the pair warmed up the crowd with a playful recitation of movie lore before announcing McQueen’s name, punctuated by Moreau’s rally cry, “Quack quack, let’s go!”. Speaking later on NHL Tonight, Jackson said being part of a prospect’s big night “feels amazing,” adding that at age 13 he never imagined the film would still echo through hockey culture three decades later. Moreau, an Orange County resident and regular at Honda Center, told reporters she hopes to host the teenager for dinner and believes the Ducks’ rebuild is “in a really good position” under new coach Joel Quenneville.
The moment underscored the symbiosis between Disney’s family comedy and Anaheim’s NHL franchise, created in 1993 after the film’s success and rebranded simply as the Ducks in 2005. Draft organisers leaned into that history: after media rounds McQueen boarded a helicopter for a surprise flight to Disneyland, four miles from the team’s arena. He was one of 32 first-rounders on a night that began with the Islanders selecting Erie Otters defenceman Matthew Schaefer first overall.
Celebrity participation extended beyond the Mighty duo. E! News counted podcast host Alex Cooper, actor Isaiah Mustafa and producer Jerry Bruckheimer among those handing jerseys to draftees, while ESPN’s cameras cut to comedian Adam Sandler announcing Boston’s pick in character as Happy Gilmore. Social media lit up: Deadline’s X feed posted “Ducks fly together” alongside a photo of Jackson and Moreau beside league commissioner Gary Bettman, and YouTube clips of the cameo topped a million views within 48 hours.
With filming on Disney’s Game Changers series stalled since 2023, Friday’s draft appearance served as the freshest reunion for the cast. Jackson told NHL Network he remains “open” to future Ducks projects, but for now he’s content that a fictional pee-wee team still shapes real-world hockey milestones.
