Celebrini selected No. 1 by Sharks in 2024 NHL Draft

LAS VEGAS -- Macklin Celebrini was selected by the San Jose Sharks with the No. 1 pick in the 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft before 14,220 at Sphere on Friday.

Celebrini (6-foot, 197 pounds), a freshman center at Boston University, is the second player from the Hockey East school to be chosen No. 1. Goalie Rick DiPietro was selected No. 1 by the New York Islanders in 2000.

"Just pure joy and excitement," Celebrini said after being selected. "I can't wait to play for this historic organization. They've had a lot of amazing players and made a reputation of how good they can be so I just couldn't be more excited."

Celebrini, who turned 18 on June 13, was not only the youngest player in men's college hockey this season but also the youngest to win the Hobey Baker Award, presented annually to recognize the top NCAA men's hockey player. He was second among NCAA players with 32 goals and third with 64 points in 38 games for the Terriers.

Joe Thornton, who played 15 seasons with the Sharks, announced the pick for San Jose.

Thornton, picked No. 1 by the Boston Bruins in the 1997 NHL Draft, was acquired in a trade with the Boston Bruins on Nov. 30, 2005. He played in San Jose from 2005-2020 and ranks first in Sharks history in assists (804), second in points (1,055), third in games (1,104) and fourth in goals (251).

"He just welcomed me to the NHL and said how special it is to be selected first overall," Celebrini said.

The left-handed shot, No. 1 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters all season, 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. He also earned the Tim Taylor National Rookie of the Year Award.

Celebrini told NHL.com after the draft that he'll decide whether he will return to BU for his sophomore season in the future.

"I'm not really focusing on it right now," Celebrini said. "I'm just trying to enjoy this moment with my friends and family. But, I mean, for everyone's sake, the decision will be made sooner than later."

Celebrini is the fourth player from NCAA men's college hockey chosen No. 1 and first since University of Michigan defenseman Owen Power by the Buffalo Sabres in 2021. He is the first Hobey Baker winner to be chosen No. 1 in the NHL Draft.

"That's a special accomplishment," Celebrini said. "I mean, it's a prestigious award and something I don't take very lightly and to also be selected number one in the NHL draft is amazing."

The Sharks won the No. 1 selection in the NHL Draft Lottery on May 7. Rounds 2-7 are here Saturday (11 a.m. ET; ESPN+, NHLN, SN, TVAS).

San Jose also moved up three spots to No. 11 in the draft in a trade with the Buffalo Sabres earlier in the day and selected defenseman Sam Dickinson of London in the Ontario Hockey League.

Artyom Levshunov, a freshman defenseman with Michigan State University, was picked No. 2 by the Chicago Blackhawks, and right wing Beckett Sennecke of Oshawa in the Ontario Hockey League was selected No. 3 by the Anaheim Ducks. Cayden Lindstrom of Medicine Hat in the Western Hockey League was chosen No. 4 by the Columbus Blue Jackets, and right wing Ivan Demidov of SKA St. Petersburg in Russia's minor hockey league was picked No. 5 by the Montreal Canadiens.

Levshunov (6-2, 205) became the highest Belarus-born player selected in the NHL Draft. Ruslan Salei (No. 9, 1996 NHL Draft, Anaheim) had been the highest.

"It's insane for my country, for my family," Levshunov said. "I can't find the words. I was thinking about [Chicago] because we had good conversation at the Scouting Combine. They came to talk with me; we went for lunch. There were a lot of teams, we talked with everyone. But I'm happy that Chicago picked me and I'm happy to be part of the Blackhawks."

Sennecke (6-3, 182), No. 13 on NHL Central Scouting's final ranking of North American skaters, was a bit of a surprise when he was chosen among the top three. He had 68 points (27 goals, 41 assists) in 63 games.

"I talked to (the Ducks) at the combine, but it wasn't anything substantial, I would say," Sennecke said. "My agent -- after I was called -- I asked him 'Did you know?' And he said 'Of course I knew.' But you didn't tell me? But I appreciated that he kept it a surprise."

Lindstrom was the first player from Medicine Hat to be selected among the top 10 since Cam Barker was picked No. 3 by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2004.

"I was excited," Lindstrom said. "All my meetings went well with them. They're all really good people. I train with some of the guys on Columbus and it seems they have a lot of things happening. I’m so happy to be a Columbus Blue Jacket."

Tij Iginla, a center with Kelowna (WHL) and the son of Hockey Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla, was the first pick ever made by the Utah Hockey Club at No. 6. He was chosen earlier than his father, who was selected No. 11 by the Dallas Stars in the 1995 NHL Draft.

“I’ve been hearing that story (of being drafted higher) a little bit but I guess I have to keep building my resume if I want to stack it up against what Dad did in his NHL career,” Iginla said.

A record two Norway-born players were picked in the first round: right wing Michael Brandsegg-Nygard of Mora in Sweden's second division went No. 15 to the Detroit Red Wings and defenseman Stian Solberg of Valerenga in Norway's top professional men's league No. 23 to the Anaheim Ducks, who moved up eight spots in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs. 

"This has been a dream for me for so long and now I reached my dream and I'm just going to keep going and hopefully be an NHL player soon," Brandsegg-Nygard said.

USA Hockey's National Team Development Program Under-18 team had two players selected in the first round: left wing Cole Eiserman (No. 20, New York Islanders) and defenseman Eric Emery (No. 30, New York Rangers). 

Eiserman (6-0, 197), committed to Boston University for 2024-25, scored 58 goals in 57 games this season and became the program's all-time leader with 127 goals in 119 games. Emery (6-3, 183), committed to the University of North Dakota in 2024-25, had 16 assists in 61 games with the NTDP U-18 team this season.

Demidov was the first of four Russia-born players selected in the first round when he went No. 5 to the Canadiens. The left-handed shot (6-0, 192) led St. Petersburg's team in the MHL, Russia's junior league, with 60 points (23 goals, 37 assists) in 30 games.

He was joined by countrymen Anton Silayev (No. 10, New Jersey Devils), a defenseman with Torpedo in the Kontinental Hockey League, center Egor Surin (No. 22, Nashville Predators) of Yaroslavl in Russia's junior league, and right wing Matvei Gridin (No. 28, Calgary Flames) of Muskegon in the United States Hockey League.

New Jersey drafted Silayev with the understanding his KHL contract with Torpedo runs through 2025-26.

"I have new goals now; and at the top of that is winning the Stanley Cup," Silayev said through an interpreter.