To the surprise of no one, the San Jose Sharks selected Macklin Celebrini first overall in the NHL Draft Friday night at the Sphere in Las Vegas.
Former Sharks star Joe Thornton, a former No. 1 pick of the Boston Bruins, represented the Sharks to make the pick.
The 18-year-old, left-shot center spent the 2023-24 season with Boston University and became the fifth college player to be picked first overall in the NHL Draft. Sharks general manager Mike Grier is a former Terrier and played for BU from 1993-96.
While originally from Vancouver, San Jose is a familiar home base for Celebrini whose father, Rick Celebrini, is the Director of Sports Medicine and Performance for the NBA’s Golden State Warriors.
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Celebrini has not made an official decision on whether he will return to BU for a second season of NCAA hockey or immediately make the jump to the NHL. In his freshman season, Celebrini led the Terriers with 64 points (32 goals, 32 assists) through 38 games while driving play on the first line.
Fellow Hockey East player Will Smith signed his three-year entry-level contract with the Sharks on May 28 following his freshman season with Boston College in which he had 56 points. Smith was the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.
To close out his first year of collegiate hockey, Celebrini won the Hobey Baker Award in April and became the youngest player to earn the honor for the top college hockey player in the nation at 17 years old. The six-foot, 190-pound forward also claimed the Hockey East Player and Rookie of the Year awards, and the Tim Taylor National Rookie of the Year.
Celebrini represented Team Canada in the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship in which he posted eight points (four goals, four assists) in five games. Team Canada was eliminated in the Quarterfinals.
Celebrini’s offensive firepower is an obvious upside to his game, but it’s his attention to detail in all three zones that make him such an asset for San Jose. He’s a swift, strong skater who’s tenacious in the defensive zone and works hard away from the puck. Celebrini was a weapon on the power play for BU, but also logged time on the penalty kill, blocking shots, taking and giving hits and setting up his teammates.
San Jose finished the 2023-24 campaign at the bottom of the NHL standings with a 19-54-9 record, and the acquisition of Celebrini will further fuel its rebuild.
