Celebrini among top prospects expected to be available for 2024 NHL Draft

NASHVILLE --Macklin Celebrini with Chicago of the United States Hockey League will headline a strong class of prospects expected to be available in the 2024 NHL Draft.

The 17-year-old center (6-foot, 189 pounds) became the first player in USHL history to win player of the year, rookie of the year and forward of the year in the same season. He led the league with 46 goals and 86 points in 50 regular-season games and was also named to the All-USHL First Team and All-Rookie Team.

"The numbers don't lie what he's done in Chicago," Pat Cullen of NHL Central Scouting said. "He's just got elite hockey sense and makes everybody around him better. He's a 200-foot guy ... not all offense. He did in the USHL at his age what was never done. I mean, his numbers are unbelievable. He's living up to the Adam Fantilli-type USHL hype."

Fantilli, the University of Michigan freshman chosen No. 3 by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the 2023 Upper Deck NHL Draft on Wednesday, was named First Team All-USHL after finishing third in the league with 37 goals in 54 games in 2021-22. As a rookie in 2020-21, Fantilli helped Chicago win the Clark Cup championship with nine points (eight goals) in eight playoff games.

Celebrini had 15 points (six goals, nine assists) in seven games to help Canada win bronze at the 2023 IIHF World Under-18 Championship. He's committed to Boston University next season, where he'll join his brother, Aiden.

Aiden Celebrini (6-1, 187), a right-shot defenseman with Brooks of the Alberta Junior Hockey League this season, was selected by the Vancouver Canucks in the sixth round (No. 171) in the 2023 draft. He was No. 140 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters presented by BioSteel.

Connor Bedard, selected No. 1 by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2023 draft, has played with Celebrini. Each is from Vancouver.

"I played with him and his brother as well ... Mack is a special player," Bedard said. "What he did this year was remarkable. He's always been super good, so to kind of see him grow and see the steps he's taken in his career, it's exciting to know him and have that relationship with him. I'm really excited for him, and there's so many good things about his game, you can go on forever."

Macklin Celebrini had 117 points (50 goals, 67 assists) in 52 games as a 15-year-old with Shattuck St. Mary's Under-18 team in Minnesota in 2021-22. He set USHL records for most goals and points by an Under-17 player in a single season.

In addition to Celebrini, there are other players vying for top billing at the 2024 draft.

Left wing Cole Eiserman (5-11, 190) of USA Hockey's National Team Development Program Under-18 team, defenseman Aron Kiviharju (5-9, 165) of TPS in Finland's junior division and defenseman Sam Dickinson (6-3, 203) of London in the Ontario Hockey League are blue-chip players projected to go early in the first round.

Eiserman, who will attend the University of Minnesota in 2024-25, had 72 points (43 goals, 29 assists) in 42 games with the NTDP Under-17 team and 32 points (26 goals, six assists) in 20 games after being promoted to the NTDP U-18 team. His 69 goals in a single NTDP season rank second all-time behind Cole Caufield (72 goals, 2018-19).

"He's easily top five, certainly in North America, or even higher," NHL Central Scouting director David Gregory said. "He's a player that's an elite shooter of the puck. … You talk about guys that have to be inside the box to score, he can score from well outside the box because of how well he shoots the puck. His ability to get to open space, skate past guys and get the scoring chance is at an elite level already, and he just plays with a great intensity.

"He's tough to contain, wants to score so badly ... he wants the puck in the net one way or another."

The 16-year-old had 11 points (nine goals, two assists) in seven games to help the United States win a gold medal at the 2023 IIHF World Under-18 Championship.

Eiserman and Celebrini were teammates, and at times linemates, at Shattuck St. Mary's in 2021-22. Eiserman had 56 goals and 86 points in 53 games for the prep school's U-18 squad that season. Sidney Crosby and Jonathan Toews are the only 15-year-olds with more goals in a season at Shattuck. Crosby had 72 goals in 57 games (2002-03) and Toews had 64 goals in 70 games (2003-04).

Kiviharju had 20 points (two goals, 18 assists) in 22 games with TPS in Finland's junior division, and three assists in 21 games as a 17-year-old with TPS in Liiga, the top professional men's league in the country.

"Kiviharju has high hockey IQ and passion for the game," NHL Central Scouting chief European scout Janne Vuorinen said. "He really wants to get better on a daily basis. He reads the game really well and has ability to set the tempo of the game when on the puck."

Dickinson had 23 points (nine goals, 14 assists) and 103 shots on goal in 62 games as a rookie with London this season.

"Dickinson kills penalties, is big, good with the puck, and he'll hit," Tim Campbell of NHL Central Scouting said.

Photo credit: Alina Nelson, Chicago (USHL); Rena Laverty, NTDP