Macklin Celebrini (born June 13, 2006) is a Canadian college ice hockey centre for the Boston University Terriers of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). During his freshman season at Boston University he won the Hobey Baker Award, becoming the youngest player to win the award.[1][2] Celebrini is eligible for the 2024 NHL entry draft and is widely projected to be selected first overall by the San Jose Sharks.[3][4]
| Macklin Celebrini | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Born | June 13, 2006 North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (183 cm) | ||
| Weight | 190 lb (86 kg; 13 st 8 lb) | ||
| Position | Centre | ||
| Shoots | Left | ||
| NCAA team | Boston University | ||
| National team |  Canada | ||
Playing career
Celebrini signed with the Chicago Steel of the United States Hockey League (USHL) for the 2022–23 USHL season after scoring 50 goals and 67 assists in 52 games playing for Shattuck-Saint Mary's.[5] He quickly earned a hat trick and was named USHL's forward of the week.[6] Celebrini ultimately posted 86 points during the season, leading the USHL, and the most-ever by an under-17 player in USHL history.[7] After helping the Steel reach the USHL's Eastern Conference Finals, Celebrini was named Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and Forward of the Year, becoming only the second USHL player to win all three awards, and the first to do so in a single season.[7] Additionally, Celebrini was named to the All-USHL and All-Rookie first teams.[8][9]
Celebrini committed to play for Boston University starting in the 2023–24 season.[10] During his freshman year he recorded 32 goals and 32 assists in 38 games. Following an outstanding season he was named Hockey East Player of the Year, Hockey East Rookie of the Year, Hockey East Scoring Champion and won the Hockey East Three-Stars Award.[11] He also won the Hobey Baker Award. At 17, he became the youngest player to win the award and the fourth freshman, following Paul Kariya in 1993, Jack Eichel in 2015 and Adam Fantilli in 2023.[12]
International play
| Medal record | ||
|---|---|---|
| Representing Canada | ||
| Ice hockey | ||
| World U18 Championships | ||
 | 2023 Switzerland | |
Celebrini made his international debut for Canada with the under-17 team in the 2022 World U-17 Hockey Challenge,[13] The following year, he was named to the national under-18 team for the 2023 IIHF World U18 Championships.[14][15] Team Canada reached the bronze medal match, where Celebrini scored the medal-winning goal in overtime against Slovakia.[16] He then moved up to play with the national junior team at the 2024 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. Celebrini led the team in scoring with four goals and four assists, though the tournament ended in disappointment for Team Canada, which was ousted in the quarter-final by the Czech Republic.[17]
Following the conclusion of his debut collegiate season, Celebrini accepted an invitation to make his senior national team debut at the 2024 IIHF World Championship.[18] However, he was subsequently dropped from the roster in advance of the tournament, with the addition of a number of more experienced NHL players whose teams were ousted in the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs.[19]
Personal life
Celebrini is a fan of his hometown team, the Vancouver Canucks. His father, Rick, was a soccer player for the Vancouver 86ers and later worked for the Canucks. He was later hired by the Golden State Warriors of the National Basketball Association (NBA) as their director of sports medicine and performance.[20] Celebrini's older brother, Aiden, was drafted by the Canucks in the sixth round (171st overall) of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft.[21]
Career statistics
Regular season and playoffs
| Regular season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | League | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | ||
| 2022–23 | Chicago Steel | USHL | 50 | 46 | 40 | 86 | 62 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2023–24 | Boston University | HE | 38 | 32 | 32 | 64 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||
| NCAA totals | 38 | 32 | 32 | 64 | 18 | — | — | — | — | — | ||||
International
| Year | Team | Event | Result | GP | G | A | Pts | PIM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Canada Black | U17 | 4th | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2023 | Canada | U18 |  | 7 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 6 | |
| 2024 | Canada | WJC | 5th | 5 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 0 | |
| Junior totals | 16 | 11 | 14 | 25 | 6 | ||||
Awards and honours
References
External links
- Biographical information and career statistics from Eliteprospects.com, or The Internet Hockey Database