Celebrini, top 2024 NHL Draft prospects take part in youth clinic

SUMMERLIN, Nev. -- Macklin Celebrini is committed to having an impact on and off the ice for the team that selects him in the 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft.

He provided a glimpse of that during the Top Prospects Youth Hockey Clinic at City National Arena, the practice facility of the Vegas Golden Knights, on Wednesday.

"It was awesome. We had a lot of fun out there," Celebrini said. "I think we got a little competitive out there, but it was amazing to skate with those kids. It means a lot."

Celebrini, a center from Boston University, was one of five top Draft-eligible prospects assisting about 45 girls and boys aged 5-12 in fundamentals during the clinic. He was joined by forward Tij Iginla of Kelowna (Western Hockey League), and defensemen Zeev Buium of the University of Denver, Artyom Levshunov of Michigan State University, and Zayne Parekh of Saginaw (Ontario Hockey League).

"I remember being that young and looking up to guys like us and wanting to spend time with them," Buium said. "Anytime I get a chance to go out there with kids and play with them, I don't take it for granted because I think it goes a long way."

The youth hockey players who participated in the clinic were from the NHL/NHL Players’ Association’s Learn to Play program, the Under-10 Girls Junior Knights and Bauer Empowered Girls teams.

"You can see it, all around the city, all the license plates, you see the love the city has for the Vegas Golden Knights and what they've done have trickled down into the youth hockey," Golden Knights girls and women youth hockey programming director Sheri Hudspeth said. "Our house league has over 1,200 kids this year and our Junior Knights travel program has won three USA Hockey national championships within seven years. It's exploding here, and the development that we're seeing is just incredible thanks to the coaches."

Celebrini is the projected No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft at Sphere in Las Vegas. The first round will be Friday (7 p.m. ET; ESPN, ESPN+, SN, TVAS); Rounds 2-7 are Saturday (11:30 a.m. ET; ESPN+, NHLN, SN, SN1). The San Jose Sharks have the No. 1 pick, the Chicago Blackhawks own the No. 2 choice, and the Anaheim Ducks will select at No. 3.

"I just know how I felt when I was a kid looking up at players who aspired to be NHL players," Celebrini said. "I know how I would have wanted them to treat me if I ever met them. So, I just feel like kind of giving back, and doing that for the kids is pretty important.”

Former NHL players Deryk Engelland, Anson Carter, Georges Laraque, Al Montoya and Anthony Stewart also were part of the clinic.

"Our Learn To Play program had just 10-to-20 kids in each session and now you've got 40-to-50 and multiple sessions all over Southern Nevada," said Engelland, who played three seasons for Vegas (2017-20). "They're building more rinks, so it just goes to show you how the Golden Knights' arrival has turned a lot of families into hockey families. It's just great to see the game grow here."

Since the Golden Knights' first NHL season in 2017-18, Nevada has seen growth in hockey participation, increased hockey programs and expansion into new communities, as well as new facilities to meet the high demand. The arrival of the Golden Knights resulted in a 268 percent rise in the total number of hockey players, with Under-8 players seeing the biggest increase.

"The prospects are showing us how to stick-handle, race to pucks and keep our balance and it's so much fun," said 9-year-old Alessandra Anderson, who plays for the U10 Golden Knights team. "I've been playing for about two years, and the thing I like most about hockey is hanging out with my friends and I like traveling places.

"I didn't really know about hockey a few years ago, but I went to a game and loved it. I want to keep getting better now."

Iginla said the session conjured up great memories.

"My dad (Hockey Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla) always tells me how I used to take the puck out of the net and just go down and score," Iginla said. "The kids didn't really ask me anything, but I was asking them, and one kid said their favorite player was (Hall of Fame forward) Doug Gilmour. I was a little bit surprised by that."

The NHL/NHLPA Industry Growth Fund has invested $3.6 million to support the Golden Knights' youth hockey programs. When Las Vegas was granted an expansion franchise in 2016, Southern Nevada had three community ice sheets; today, with the addition of City National Arena and America First Center in nearby Henderson, there are seven sheets.

"I remember practicing with the Junior Kings at the Los Angeles Kings practice facility on Saturday mornings and the Kings would work out and skate right before us," Buium said. "Sometimes we'd sit around and try to get sticks from them, and (Los Angeles defenseman) Drew Doughty gave me his stick and was one of the first players I met. That was one of the coolest moments, and I still have the stick to this day.

"To me, clinics like this provide a way of giving back and show the kids that we're not above them but just want to hang out and inspire them."