McQueen feels ‘100 percent’ at NHL Scouting Combine after back injury

The 2025 NHL Scouting Combine presented by Fanatics is taking place this week at KeyBank Center and LECOM Harborcenter in Buffalo. The combine will allow NHL teams an opportunity to conduct interviews and provide physical and medical assessments of the top prospects eligible for the 2025 Upper Deck NHL Draft. NHL.com will bring you all the sights and sounds.

BUFFALO -- Roger McQueen understands the NHL Scouting Combine might be more important to him than any of the other 89 players here this week.

But the 18-year-old center with Brandon of the Western Hockey League already is off to a good start -- he's fully cleared to take part in the combine fitness testing on Friday and Saturday.

McQueen was limited to 17 games because of a fracture in his lower back. He played the first eight games of the season, then was out for almost five months, returning March 4.

"It was obviously huge to be able to get the sign," McQueen said Monday. "I kind of knew, just because, like, I've been pain-free for a while now. So, I kind of knew I was going to be cleared. Obviously, especially for me, a hurt guy, not playing all year, (it’s important) just to see that you're healthy."

McQueen said his back issue actually began while playing for Canada at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in August 2023. At one point, it was misdiagnosed as a bulging disk.

He played through pain during the 2023-24 season but still had 51 points (21 goals, 30 assists) in 53 games, and was able to play at the 2024 IIHF World Under-18 Championship. When he still was having issues this season, McQueen visited spine surgeon Dr. Jay Toor in Winnipeg, who diagnosed the spinal fracture between his L4 and L5 vertebrae and got him onto a proper healing regimen.

"He's the reason I'm doing great now," McQueen said. "He was awesome there and he found the fracture, so (we) got that figured out. Took six weeks off, it was kind of halfway healed, took another six (weeks), 75 (percent healed), and then took another six, and then that got us to 95 (percent) and then basically said, 'Yeah, you're good to play.'"

McQueen sustained another injury during the WHL playoffs that limited him to three games. He said it was a muscle issue related to the back fracture that healed after two weeks of rest.

"One to 10, I'm at a 10, pain-free now, and there's no symptoms for the last while," McQueen said. "So, it's been awesome, and I probably haven't felt better in the last three years."

McQueen (6-foot-5, 197 pounds) is No. 8 in NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters, and at his best is reminiscent of Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson.

One of his goals for the week is letting NHL teams know that the back issue is a thing of the past.

"From all the [doctors] we've talked to, they've all said it's not something that continues," he said. "It's like breaking your arm, and then the chance of breaking it again. It's a healed bone. So, yeah, it's been awesome, and I feel 100 percent."

Penn State pool party possible for Misa

Michael Misa hasn't decided where he'll play next season, and the Saginaw forward wouldn't rule out joining his older brother, Calgary Flames forward prospect Luke Misa, at Penn State University.

Misa led the Ontario Hockey League this season with 134 points (62 goals, 72 assists) in 65 games. The 18-year-old is No. 2 in Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters.

Michael said he and Luke, 19, have never played on the same team.

"The chance to play with him has been a dream for a while," he said. "It's never actually happened, but maybe someday it will."

If they end up together, they can rekindle their pool rivalry; there's a billiards table in the basement of the family house, and Michael said, "The stakes get pretty intense there."

Who's the better player?

"That's actually my brother," Michael said. "He has a book where he kind of reads through it and studies the game a bit. I more just play for fun. But we do get pretty competitive. ... I want to say I'm better, but I'm not right now, so I definitely got to keep practicing."

Ivankovic heading to Michigan

Jack Ivankovic, No. 4 on Central Scouting's final ranking of North American goalies, will play for the University of Michigan next season.

The 18-year-old was 25-12-5 with a 3.05 goals-against average, a .903 save percentage and two shutouts in 43 games with Brampton of the OHL this season. He also helped Canada win the gold medal at the 2025 IIHF World Under-18 Championship, going 6-0-0 with a 1.05 GAA, a .961 save percentage and two shutouts in six games. Ivankovic was named the tournament's best goalie.

"I loved Brampton, I loved being there," he said. "I think if the team that picks me wants the (Canadian Hockey League) direction and thinks it's better for my development, I'm still open, but my plan is to play at Michigan."

Ivankovic would likely start as Michigan’s No. 1 goalie next season to replace Logan Stein, who was a graduate student.

He also was impressed by coach Brandon Naurato and his staff.

"Going to tour there you see all the buildings, the coaching staff is unbelievable," Ivankovic said. "And I think I couldn't pass up the opportunity to be a starter at such a young age in the Big Ten."

Ivankovic is one of several players taking advantage of the new NCAA rule that allows players with CHL experience to play college hockey. Joining Ivankovic at Michigan will be Erie (OHL) forward Malcolm Spence, No. 17 on Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters, and Flames defenseman prospect Henry Mews, who spent last season in the OHL with Ottawa and Sudbury.

Could Ivankovic's Brampton teammate, forward Porter Martone, No. 6 on Central Scouting's ranking, be next?

"Obviously Porter's one of my best friends," Ivankovic said. "Been on him a little bit. But at the end of the day, I'll let him be and let him make his own decision."

Wang staying with Oshawa

Haoxi (Simon) Wang is committed to play at Boston University, but the defenseman is deferring that arrival to 2026-27 to play one more season with Oshawa of the OHL.

Wang (6-5, 215) joined Oshawa in December after starting the season with King of the Ontario Junior Hockey League. He had two assists in 32 regular-season OHL games and three assists in 21 playoff games to help Oshawa reach the league finals.

He said it took time to feel confident he could play his game but said he felt his best during the playoffs.

"I feel like my raw skills were there from Day 1, the only thing kind of slowing me down was my confidence level and how much I believed in myself," Wang said. "All the way until, I'll say, the playoffs. Then when I started really being myself once again."

He expects to have a larger role next season and continue building on the positives in his game he showcased beyond the stats.

"Obviously I've had a lot of conversations with a lot of people about him, and the one thing that I've heard over the last few days is just, he continues to make quantum leaps in terms of improvement in such a short window," said Brad Malone, who coached Oshawa this season before leaving for an assistant job with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League. "That's a credit to him, who he is as a person, who he is as a player, who he is going to be as a player and the work that he puts in and the commitment that he has to his craft.

"I can't say enough about how hard he works and how committed he is to getting better, just on a daily basis. ... For me, he's fully committed to getting to the next level."