The Anaheim Ducks sent defenseman Tristan Luneau to the San Diego Gulls of the American Hockey League (AHL) on Friday.
For fitness reasons this is a relegation. The Californian organization cannot keep the Quebecer in the development circle long-term because he is still a junior. If the club decides not to keep Luneau in the pros full-time, he will have to return to the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL), where he will play for the Gatineau Olympics.
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If the Ducks choose this route, Luneau will not serve one year of his rookie contract.
So far, the Victoriaville native has played two games in the Canards jersey in 2023-2024. He picked up no points and maintained a lead of -1.
The Ducks might also be tempted to do what the Los Angeles Kings did with guard Brandt Clarke last year. The eighth player selected in the 2021 draft has played nine games in the National League and five in the American League (the maximum allowed for relegation for conditioning reasons). He was then sent to the junior level to compete in the U20 Ice Hockey World Championship and finished his season with the Barrie Colts (OHL).
Back to Luneau: The Ducks’ second-round pick (53rd overall) in the 2022 draft doesn’t hide the fact that he would like to represent Canada at the next World Juniors.
“It’s a pretty important step in a career and it would be nice to have that experience,” he told LNH.com journalist Guillaume Lepage. At the same time, I want to spend as much time as possible among the professionals this year and that is my focus at the moment.
Luneau was dominant in the QMJHL last year. He found the target 20 times and delivered 63 assists for 83 points in 65 games. He also won the Émile Bouchard Trophy, awarded to the defender of the year in the Cecchini circuit.