IRVINE, Calif. – The Golden State was the State of Hockey just a decade ago, when the Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks all reached the Stanley Cup Final within a 10-season stretch from the Ducks’ 2007 championship to the Sharks’ 2016 runner-up run.
While all three teams have hit their own varying struggles in the decade since, this weekend opens the window on the bright future of California hockey, as the Ducks host the 2025 Golden State Rookie Faceoff at Great Park Ice in Irvine.
The three-game round-robin tournament will feature two of the top-four NHL prospect pipelines–Sharks and Ducks ranked No. 1 and No. 4, respectively, by the Athletic–seven first-round picks and two top-three picks in Anaheim’s Beckett Sennecke (2024 No. 3 overall) and San Jose’s Michael Misa (2025 No. 2 overall).
It’s a highly accessible up-close look at the future of the NHL. Let’s look at how and what to watch for in this weekend’s Golden State Rookie Faceoff.
HOW TO WATCH
When: Ducks vs. Sharks, Friday, 6 p.m.; Sharks vs. Kings, Saturday, 1 p.m.; Ducks vs. Kings, Sunday, 1 p.m.
Where: FivePoint Arena at Great Park Ice, Irvine, CA. General admission tickets $15 online.
Broadcast: Streaming on Victory+ and AnaheimDucks.com. Free and without regional restrictions.
WHAT AND WHO TO WATCH
ANAHEIM DUCKS
With the hosts, there is top talent and fresh NHL experience to highlight the forwards and defense, but the best story stands in the goal crease, as 22-year-old Czech netminder Tomas Suchanek returns to game action.
This weekend's tournament will be Suchanek’s first games in 17 months, after rupturing his ACL prior to camp one year ago. Suchanek participated in the Ducks development camp in June and is fully ready to get back into competition.
“I feel great now,” Suchanek said. “It’s been a very long time. It’s really exciting. It’s going to be fun. I’m excited about everything. The pregame warmups, just to be back in that, it’s going to be so much fun, and I can’t wait.”
Suchanek played in 29 games with the San Diego Gulls two seasons ago, posting a 14-10-5 record with a 2.92 goals against average and .910 save percentage. He was set for a major role with the Gulls last season before his injury.
Now, Suchanek gears up for a big competition in the main camp for the Gulls starting spot against NHL veteran Ville Husso and fellow prospect Calle Clang.
“I jokingly say with my staff that my favorite part of development camp was watching Suchy in net as a full participant,” said Matt McIlvane, San Diego Gulls coach who is helming the rookie squad. “He’s got so much confidence. He’s chomping at the bit, and he’s built such a strong rapport in San Diego. We can’t wait to watch him go again.”
For the Ducks highlights, look no further than their top prospect and one of two top-three picks in this weekend’s games: forward Beckett Sennecke.
The 2024 No. 3 overall pick wasn’t able to participate in the rookie tournament last season due to injury, but this season, he’ll step in with bigger opportunities than simply impressing in his first games in a Ducks sweater.
After another stellar junior season with Oshawa of the OHL, he stands at a crossroads so many top NHL prospects encounter. As a 19-year-old CHL player that hasn’t played in four full junior seasons, he is not eligible to be sent to the AHL. His only options for playing time this season are at the NHL level or being sent back for one more season in junior hockey.
That decision won’t be made this weekend, but Sennecke said he’s looking to get his cardio and game shape back, which will help him hit training camp at full speed. Some highlight reel goals won’t hurt either.
Elsewhere among the forwards, 24-year-old center Tim Washe played two games with the Ducks last season after winning a NCAA national championship with Western Michigan, and he’ll participate in his first rookie tournament. He’ll likely center Sennecke’s line with Gulls winger Yegor Sidorov on the other wing–opportunities for Washe and Sidorov to both make an impact on the view of their futures.
In the defensive corps, 2024 No. 23 overall pick Stian Solberg will impose a physical presence, after finishing last season with San Diego after completing his season in Europe. Camp for Solberg, who scored a hat trick for Norway against Team USA at the World Championships, will be set on demonstrating if he’s ready to compete for an NHL spot, with the 20-year-old focusing on his playmaking in tandem with bringing the lumber.
Solberg will be paired with Will Francis, who returned to hockey after beating cancer for a third time last season and signed his first professional contract with the Gulls.
Other notes on the back-end are Ian Moore, who like Washe got several games with the Ducks at the end of the season after finishing his NCAA season with Harvard, and plenty of size. All seven defensemen are 6-foot-2 or taller, including 2024 fourth-round pick Konnor Smith at 6-foot-6, Francis at 6-foot-5, and 2025 fifth-round pick Alexis Mathieu at 6-foot-4.
Tarin Smith, 2024 third-rounder, had a breakout junior season last year and could use this tournament to leave an impression on the Ducks’ brass.
SAN JOSE SHARKS
The Ducks’ first opponent brings a talented and experienced group to Great Park Ice with four first-round picks and three players with NHL experience from last season.
Top of the list for San Jose is 18-year-old forward Michael Misa. The 2025 No. 2 overall pick signed his entry-level contract with the Sharks last week, setting him up for a similar NHL-or-Juniors situation like the Ducks’ Sennecke. Misa brings speed, skill and a high hockey IQ with the ability to find the open scoring areas and get the puck where it needs to be.
San Jose will also feature first-round winger Quentin Musty (2023 No. 26), defenseman Sam Dickinson (2024 No. 11) and goaltender Joshua Ravensbergen (2025 No. 30).
Haoxi (Simon) Wang, 2025 second-rounder at No. 33 overall, will also be a story to watch, as Wang was the third-ever Chinese-born player selected in the NHL draft and by far the highest selected Chinese-born player.
LOS ANGELES KINGS
The Kings’ rookie roster isn’t as star-studded as their other SoCal-NorCal counterparts, but Los Angeles still will showcase their last two first-round picks and their top goaltending prospect.
Liam Greentree was the Kings 2024 pick at No. 26 overall and is the organization’s top forward prospect. However, just like Sennecke and Misa, at 19 years old, Greentree is in the same NHL-or-Juniors bubble. With the Kings in a win-now mindset and veteran-laden roster, it’s unlikely he cracks the big roster, but a strong rookie showing would be a start.
Goaltender Carter George was a second-round pick in 2024 and seemingly the future in the Kings’ net. George held the starter’s net for Team Canada at the 2025 World Junior Championships.
The Kings will also feature their 2025 first-round pick, defenseman Henry Brzustewicz. Selected at No. 31 overall, Brzustewicz might be the No. 1 defenseman for OHL London this season, and his first opportunity in a Kings’ sweater will show what kind of prospect they have on their hands.