Macklin Celebrini, expected to be the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, was honored with the Hobey Baker Award on Friday.
The Boston College freshman forward is ahead of two other finalists: Boston College forward prospect Kutter Gauthier of the Anaheim Ducks and North Dakota University forward Jackson Blake of the Carolina Hurricanes. , was selected as this season's NCAA men's ice hockey player.
At 17, he is the youngest player to win the Hobey Baker Award, joining Jack Eichel (2015), Matt Gilroy (2009) and Chris Drury (1998) to win the Hobey Baker Award. He is the fourth player to receive this award.
Celebrini, No. 1 in NHL Central Scouting's interim ranking of North American skaters for the 2024 draft, ranks third in the NCAA with 64 points (32 goals, 32 assists) in 38 games. The youngest player in college hockey, he was named Hockey East Newcomer of the Year and Player of the Year. Celebrini became the fourth player to win both awards in the same season, joining Eichel (2015), Paul Kariya (1993) and Brian Leitch (1987).
He helped lead Boston College to the Frozen Four, but in the national semifinals Thursday at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn., Boston College fell to the University of Denver 2-1 in overtime. I was defeated.
“He's a special player and he belongs in that special category, because he can perform well in any environment, in any situation, but that's not true for a 17-year-old,” said Central Scouting Director Dan Marr. Because it's difficult,” he said.
Central Scouting's John Williams said Celebrini (6-foot, 190 pounds) has an all-around game and could be an impact player in the NHL, similar to former Chicago Blackhawks center Jonathan Toews. He said there is.
“As 17-year-olds, they have similar builds and are similar in terms of their ability to play a full 200-foot game,” Williams said. “What he stepped in and accomplished was phenomenal and deserves all the praise he's getting.”
Gauthier was drafted with the fifth pick in the 2022 NHL Draft by the Philadelphia Flyers and traded to the Ducks on January 8 for defenseman Jamie Drysdale and a second-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. The 20-year-old led all NCAA players with 38 points in 40 games and was second among NCAA players with 65 points.
Blake was selected by the Hurricanes in the fourth round (109th pick) of the 2021 NHL Draft. The 20-year-old ranked fourth in the NCAA with 60 points (22 goals, 38 assists) in 40 games for the University of North Dakota, which lost to Michigan in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. He signed a three-year entry-level contract with the Hurricanes on Wednesday.
University of Michigan forward Adam Fantilli, now with the Columbus Blue Jackets, won the Hobey Baker Award last season.
