At the 2024 NHL Draft held in Las Vegas, outstanding newcomer Macklin Celebrini from Boston University successfully won the top pick title and was selected as the first overall pick of the year by the San Jose Sharks. This honor not only highly recognizes his personal abilities, but also signifies that this young player is about to embark on a new chapter in his professional ice hockey career.
Celebrini, who is 6 feet tall and weighs 197 pounds, is a rookie center on the Boston University Hockey team. His outstanding performance made him the second top pick pick from an Eastern school, following goalkeeper Rick DiPietro. After being selected, he couldn’t conceal his joy: “I feel very excited and happy. Joining such an organization with a long history and brilliant achievements is what I have been dreaming of. I look forward to integrating into this team as soon as possible and contributing my own strength to it.”
At the age of only 18, Celebrini not only stood out as a young player in this season’s NCAA men’s field hockey competition, but also won the highly anticipated Hobby Beck Award at the end of the season, which is aimed at recognizing top NCAA men’s field hockey players. He ranks among the top NCAA players with a total score of 32 goals and 38 points, demonstrating astonishing talent and potential.
At the draft, legendary player Joe Thornton of the Sharks personally announced this result. Thornton was once a core player of the Sharks team, ranking first in assists in team history and being one of the greatest players in team history. He expressed warm congratulations to Celebrini and encouraged him to continue working hard to bring more glory to the Sharks team.
Celebrini is not only a left-handed player, but also ranks first in the final ranking of North American ice skaters by NHL Central Scoring. He was awarded the Eastern Hockey Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year awards for his outstanding performance, becoming one of the only players to receive these two honors in the same season. In addition, he also won the Tim Taylor National Rookie of the Year award, further proving his strength and value.
In an interview after the draft, Celebrini stated that he will carefully consider his future plans, including whether to continue staying at Boston University for the sophomore season. He said, “I haven’t made a final decision yet, but I hope to enjoy this wonderful moment with friends and family. However, I believe this decision will be made at the appropriate time.”
It is worth mentioning that Celebrini is not only the fourth NCAA male college hockey player to be selected as the top scorer, but also the first player to receive this honor since 2021. He is also the first Hobey Baker Award winner to become the top pick in the NHL draft, which undoubtedly makes his career more brilliant.
In addition to Celebrini, there were also some other notable players selected by various teams in this draft. This includes freshman guard Artyom Levshunov from Michigan State University and right-wing player Beckett Sennecke from the Ontario Hockey League. Their joining will inject new vitality and passion into the future NHL arena.
At the draft, the San Jose Sharks traded up to 11th overall and chose defensive player Sam Dickinson from the Ontario Hockey League. This measure further consolidated the defensive strength of the Sharks team and laid a solid foundation for the team’s future.
For the selected players, this draft is an important turning point in their career. They will continue to hone their skills in the new team and prepare for future matches. We look forward to these young players showing even better performance on the NHL field, bringing more exciting and diverse games to fans.
