Born in Milton, Ontario, McDuffe's father, Arnold, was a test pilot and trainer for the Royal Canadian Air Force during World War II stationed at Brandon, Manitoba.
In 1920, McDuffe's paternal grandfather, Richard, had established the first John Deere farm implement dealership in Ontario.
(Icing on the Plains: The Rough Ride of Kansas City's NHL Scouts, pp.
In 1968–69, he moved to the EHL and played for the Greensboro Generals, where he collected a 36-19-9 record, before being traded to New York Rangers affiliate Omaha in the Central Hockey League.
[7] Icing on the Plains: The Rough Ride of Kansas City's NHL Scouts, Troy Treasure, 2018, Balboa Press.