By Canadian Press

Macklin Celebrini heads mid-season ranking of North American draft prospects

Jan 12, 2024 | 9:07 AM

Canadian Macklin Celebrini sits atop the mid-season draft ranking of North American skaters released Friday by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau.

The 17-year-old centre led Canada with eight points (four goals, four assists) in five games at the world junior hockey championship.

Celebrini, of North Vancouver, B.C., also leads Boston University in goals (11), assists (16) and points (27) 16 games into his freshman season and ranks second among all U.S. college skaters in points per game at 1.69 on a team that includes 13 players already drafted to the NHL. 

He has the chance to become the fourth NCAA player selected first overall, and just the second U.S. college forward to do so since Joe Murphy in 1986, when the 2024 NHL draft is held June 28-29 in Las Vegas.

Defenceman Artyom Levshunov of Belarus (NCAA, Michigan State); centre Cayden Lindstrom of Dawson Creek, B.C., (Western Hockey League, Medicine Hat); defenceman Zeev Buium of San Diego, Calif.; (NCAA, University of Denver) and left-winger Trevor Connelly of Tustin, Calif., (USHL,Tri-City) round out the top five.

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Finnish centre Konsta Helenius is the top-ranked international skater. The list is rounded out by Russian defenceman Anton Silayev, Russian right-winger Ivan Demidov, Czechia defenceman Adam Jiricek and Finnish right-winger Emil Hemming.

“Macklin Celebrini was the unanimous No.1-ranked player, having displayed his NHL skills and attributes on the world stage as a 17-year-old at the world junior championship while also leading Boston University and Hockey East in scoring,” Dan Marr, vice president of NHL Central Scouting, said in a release. 

“Macklin plays at a level all his own and it’s truly impressive to see how he thrives in every environment he competes in.”
 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 12, 2024.

The Canadian Press