Tag: 2024 nhl draft

Goalie Logan Thompson still powered through an autograph session right after being traded to the Capitals

Good for Logan Thompson for being a trooper in a very awkward situation.

New Washington Capitals goalie Logan Thompson didn’t abandon his Saturday 2024 NHL Draft autograph session, even after being traded.

The Vegas Golden Knights traded Thompson to Washington for two draft picks on the second day of this year’s draft, one where Thompson was slated to interact with fans and sign autographs as part of the weekend’s draft festivities at the Vegas Sphere.

Well, the former Golden Knight was traded to Washington right before his autograph availability, meaning he chose to solider on and sign photos of him in his Golden Knights jersey despite having just been sent to a new team.

Thompson reportedly learned of the trade from Vegas general manager Kelly McCrimmon roughly an hour before the session but didn’t want to bail on the opportunity to greet the fans, per the Las Vegas Review-Journal‘s Danny Webster.

Him keeping to his obligation is very admirable on what’s sure to be a whirlwind day for the NHL goalie.

At least he got to say hello to one of his new Capitals teammates, center Aliaksei Protas.

Good for Thompson for sticking to his autograph session. Even though he was saying farewell to the Golden Knights fans in attendance, we’re sure this offered a bit of unexpected closure for the goalie.

Vegas fans sure don’t sound thrilled that he’s gone, that’s for sure.

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Tij Iginla (Jarome’s son!) becomes the 1st ever draft pick of Utah HC

Utah’s first NHL draft pick is trying to follow in Hall of Fame footsteps.

The Utah Hockey Club may not have an official mascot or even a permanent color scheme, but now, it has its first draft pick.

Utah, formerly the Arizona Coyotes, made 17-year-old Kelowna, Canada, forward Tij Iginla — son of Hockey Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla — the sixth pick in the 2024 draft and the first selection in franchise history after it relocated from Tempe ahead of the upcoming season.

The elder Iginla played for 21 seasons, leading the NHL in points once (2002) and goals twice (2002, 2004). The younger Iginla, who comes from the Kelowna Rockets of the WHL, was one of the draft’s top prospects and recently helped lead Canada to a gold medal at the 2024 IHHL U18 World Championships in Finland.

Many expected Iginla — who is believed to be the first second-generation Black player in NHL history — would land with the Calgary Flames, with whom his father played 17 seasons, almost the entirety of his career. However, the Flames chose not to trade up for Iginla despite having the opportunity to do so.

NHL fans were thrilled to see Tij follow in Jarome’s footsteps on Friday night.

How the fans reacted

 

 

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Celine Dion made a dramatic NHL Draft appearance to announce Canadiens selection

Celine Dion delivered the most dramatic NHL draft selection of all time.

NHL teams enlisted the help of celebrity guest pickers to announce first-round selections in Friday night’s 2024 NHL Draft, with former San Jose Sharks star Joe Thornton announcing the team’s first overall pick, Macklin Celebrini.

When it came to the Montreal Canadiens’ pick at No. 5 overall, however, they brought some real star power to the table.

In a stunner, world-famous singer and Quebec native Celine Dion took the stage, and she certainly brought some drama to the affair. After quite a bit of fanfare and extended pauses, she announced the selection of Russian winger Ivan Demidov of SKA Saint Petersburg in the Kontinental Hockey League.

Even the broadcasters described the pick as the most dramatic of all time.

After beginning his NHL career with a celebrity photo-op, Demidov will join one of the league’s most historically successful teams in Montreal, which has won 24 Stanley Cups, though it’s searching for its first since 1993.

The Habs got close in 2021, reaching the Stanley Cup Finals, but they’ve missed the postseason in each of the last three campaigns. With Demidov, they’ll hope their fortune changes.

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San Jose Sharks surprise Macklin Celebrini by having Joe Thornton announce No. 1 overall NHL pick

A Sharks legend welcomed first overall pick Macklin Celebrini to his new team.

The San Jose Sharks made Boston University star centre and North Vancouver, Canada, native Macklin Celebrini the first overall pick in the 2024 NHL draft on Friday night, and the potential future face of the franchise was welcomed to his new team with a surprise.

To announce the pick, the Sharks enlisted the help of team legend Joe Thornton, who retired in 2022 and spent the bulk of his career with San Jose from 2005-20 and won both the Art Ross and Hart Memorial Trophies in 2006.

Thornton received quite a few cheers — from one fan in particular — as he took the stage and announced the selection of Celebrini, who Sharks fans will hope has a tenure similar to Thornton’s.

Macklin, who is 18, was named the Hockey East Player of the Year after a stellar season at Boston. He also represented Canada in the 2024 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, leading his team in scoring with four goals and four assists.

San Jose hasn’t reached the playoffs since 2019, when Thornton was still on the roster. With the top pick in the draft now on board in Celebrini, it will hope those woes end sooner rather than later.

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Why the 2024 NHL Draft is taking place at the Las Vegas Sphere

This year’s NHL Draft will take place at arguably its most intriguing venue yet.

This year’s NHL Draft is making the trip to Las Vegas, as the festivities will take place at a brand-new venue that is taking the world by storm.

The MSG Sphere is the gigantic circular attraction that has taken over the Vegas skyline, hosting concerts for bands like U2 and The Eagles and now hosting a major sporting event with the 2024 NHL Draft.

Why didn’t the NHL go with one of the legendary casinos or with the Las Vegas Golden Knights’ arena for the draft?

Well, attribute it to Sphere fever, as it’s turning into a major point of curiosity for events with its curved screen towering over the stage and its entertainment potential for the draft broadcast.

We’ll see how the Sphere does hosting this year’s NHL Draft, and if another sports league wants to host a draft in the event space down the road.

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Who is Macklin Celebrini, the prospective No. 1 pick at the 2024 NHL Draft?

Who is Macklin Celebrini?

This weekend’s NHL Draft will send a host of new hockey prospects on a new journey for their careers, and most all of this class is waiting to hear where they’ll land.

The one outlier is former Boston University center Macklin Celebrini, who should be the first-overall pick in this year’s NHL Draft for the San Jose Sharks.

The left-handed offensive prospect might not come with the same ballyhoo as last year’s top pick, Connor Bedard, but Celebrini only played a year at Boston for a reason.

He’s a pro-ready scorer who brings tantalizing upside as a future star in the league. Let’s get to know Celebrini before he most likely joins the Sharks on Friday night in Las Vegas.

First, some quick facts about Macklin Celebrini 

Date of birth: June 13, 2006
Place of birth: North Vancouver, Canada
Height and weight: 6-foot-0, 190 pounds
Position: Center
Shoots: Left
2023-24 team: Boston University (NCAA)
2023-24 stats: 32 goals and 64 points in 38 games

Celebrini hails from the same area as Bedard, and he’s just a bit bigger and taller than the Chicago Blackhawks star. He won the Hobey Baker and Tim Taylor awards in college and was named Hockey East’s Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year. Celebrini played for the USHL’s Chicago Steel in the 2022-23 season, scoring 46 goals and adding 40 assists in 50 games.

What is Macklin Celebrini’s playstyle like?

Celebrini scores a lot of goals. That’s not the only reason he will probably go first in this year’s draft, but it’s atop the list. San Jose desperately needs elite offensive players on its roster, and Celebrini would fill that gap for the Sharks.

However, his number of assists shows he’s just as good at creating scoring opportunities for his teammates. Bedard had similar success going into last year’s draft, which rounds out a prospect’s game outside of just finding the net. San Jose will get a player who has a knack for the puck in both notching goals and getting it to his fellow players.

That’s reason enough to draft someone like Celebrini, who should start as soon as he arrives.

Why is Macklin Celebrini the near-assured No. 1 pick at the 2024 NHL Draft?

Like Bedard before him, Celebrini offers the most upside as a top-six franchise scorer of any player in this class. His sole year at Boston was proof enough that Celebrini is ready for the NHL, meaning he can play right away for San Jose without having to spend any time in the AHL. There are some really good offensive players in this year’s draft, but none with the quite the promise of Celebrini. He just offers so much right away for a team.
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Michigan State hockey defenseman given first round scouting grade

An MSU defenseman is being considered a first round pick according to The Hockey News:

Michigan State defenseman Artyom Levshunov has received a lot of praise so far this season. The freshman defenseman has already recorded 6 points (3 goals, 3 assists) in 6 games in the young MSU season.

Levshunov’s stellar play hasn’t gone unnoticed, as The Hockey News has released it’s preliminary watch list for the 2024 NHL Draft, and Levshunov has received a first round grade.

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