TORONTO -- What's in a name?
Specifically, "Macklin" Celebrini, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.
"I was just looking through a bunch of names and Macklin had a connotation of being sort of a strong name, strong person and strong character, so that's why we picked it," Rick Celebrini, Macklin's father, told NHL.com.
When all is said and done, "hockey strong" might also best depict the Boston University freshman center.
"He uniquely rises to the occasion on every level and has done it as a 17-year-old, which is a truly impressive performance," NHL Central Scouting director Dan Marr said.
Celebrini is the youngest player in NCAA Division I men's hockey this season and the youngest player ever chosen as a top-three finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, presented annually to recognize the top NCAA men's hockey player.
One season removed from all the hype and excitement surrounding generational talent Connor Bedard, who went No. 1 to the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2023 NHL Draft, where does Celebrini stand this year and what impact might he have next season?
NHL.com received some answers with the help of several full-time evaluators at NHL Central Scouting.
"Celebrini is a bigger body (6-foot, 190 pounds), and not that Bedard (5-10, 185) wouldn't go to the physical areas, but he wouldn't initiate physical," said Central Scouting's David Gregory. "Celebrini does initiate physical. I think Bedard's edges, side to side, are a little better, but Celebrini's good and he may have a little bit more speed.
"They're different players even though you see these numbers and you think, 'OK, are they going to be the same?' They would complement each other really well, but I would never use a comparable of Connor Bedard for Macklin Celebrini."
Who, then, might be Celebrini's best NHL comparable?
"The last guy that comes to mind for me is Jonathan Toews," said Central Scouting's John Williams. "As a 17-year-old, they have similar size and are similar in terms of their ability to play the full 200-foot game. For him to step in and do what he's done is phenomenal, so he deserves all the accolades he's getting."
Celebrini is second among NCAA players with 32 goals and is tied for second with 64 points in 37 games for Boston University. He was named Hockey East Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year, joining Jack Eichel (2015), Paul Kariya (1993) and Brian Leetch (1987) as the only players to win the awards in the same season.
Pat Cullen, who specializes in evaluating high school and college hockey players in the United States for Central Scouting, has watched Celebrini since his days at Shattuck-St. Mary's Prep in Minnesota.
Nothing Celebrini does has shocked him to this point.
"I'm not surprised because I watched him when he was 14 and that's how he was then," Cullen said. "He was unbelievably driven. He was a 200-foot player. He was the hardest-working guy on the ice with an elite skill and brain. He was unselfish ... all the traits you're seeing in him now, as a 17-year-old, he had those. It's crazy and I just couldn't wait to go watch him."
Celebrini became the second player in the history of the United States Hockey League to win Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year and Forward of the Year in the same season after leading the league with 46 goals and 86 points in 50 games with Chicago in 2022-23.
"With how he dominated the USHL, I was confident he would have a good year in college but right from the get-go I couldn't believe how responsible he was in every zone, how hard he competed in every zone, and then what he was able to create offensively while still doing all that," Gregory said. "A lot of kids will jump into college hockey even as a 20-year-old and they're in a third- or fourth-line role even though, eventually, they may have a bigger role. But 'Mac,' right away, is the best player on their team in just about every game you see, and the youngest player."
Celebrini has 22 points (nine goals, 13 assists) during a 10-game point streak, including five points (one goal, four assists) in two NCAA Tournament games to help Boston University reach the Frozen Four. They will play the University of Denver in one of the national semifinal games at Xcel Energy Center on April 11 (5 p.m. ET; ESPN2).
"Celebrini and Bedard are different players, but I think you can project that they're going to have a similar impact in the NHL," said Central Scouting's Jean-Francois Damphousse. "Maybe Bedard's shot release is something special that Celebrini doesn't have, but the competitiveness, playmaking, skating, IQ ... elite in every category.
"I think he's going to have an impact in the NHL fairly quickly."
