Macklin Celebrini, Tij Iginla and Zeev Buium are among Tony Ferrari's first team of NHL draft all-stars, while Cole Eiserman and Zayne Parekh are part of the second squad.
With the 2024 NHL draft cycle coming to a close, it seems fitting that we name an end-of-year all-star team.
Leagues around the world name their all-stars at the end of the season, and we will use that same framework to put together this squad.
We will assemble a first and second all-star squad with a player named for each position. There will be three forwards consisting of a center and two wingers, two defensemen and a goaltender.
Statistical excellence, accolades and accomplishments are all considered for these teams. Any NHL draft-eligible player is in consideration.
First Team
C: Macklin Celebrini, Boston Univ. (NCAA)
RW: Ivan Demidov, SKA-1946 Jr. (Rus.)
LW: Tij Iginla, Kelowna (WHL)
D: Zeev Buium, Univ. of Denver (NCAA)
D: Artyom Levshunov, Michigan State (NCAA)
G: Carter George, Owen Sound (OHL)
Starting with Celebrini, it was a clear choice as to what center would occupy the first team slot. Not only is he the clear-cut choice to be the No. 1 pick in a couple of weeks, but he collected plenty of hardware thanks to a wildly successful NCAA season. He won the Hobey Baker, finished second in goals and third in scoring across the NCAA, and won nearly every award he possibly could have in Hockey East.
When it comes to Demidov, the dominance he showed throughout the MHL season was insane. He went from toying with his opponents early in the year to utterly humiliating them as he rounded his game into form and took out some of the junior-style plays that don’t translate to pro hockey. He won the MHL MVP, finished second in scoring despite playing in 24 fewer games than the leader and led his team to a championship.
While the left wing crop isn’t quite as strong as the right side, Tij Iginla was simply fantastic this season. His growth throughout the year was impressive. He finished second among NHL draft eligibles in WHL goal-scoring and then took his talents to the Under-18 World Championship, where he was a pivotal member of Canada’s gold medal win.
On defense, the NCAA duo of Buium and Levshunov felt like the right combination, and they just so happened to be left and right shots, respectively.
All Buium has done is win over the last year. He was pivotal for the Americans in their run to the gold medal at the World Junior Championship. He then helped his University of Denver teammates win the national title with numerous personal accolades on the way, including leading the nation in scoring on the blueline as a freshman.
Levshunov helped Michigan State to a Big 10 championship and was added to the conference's first all-star team. He was also named the Big 10 defensive player of the year and the conference rookie of the year. When you’re collecting accolades and titles like these two were at the NCAA level, it makes it an easy choice for the first team.
In net, Carter George gets the nod in a weak goaltending class. His stellar play for Owen Sound in the OHL all season kept them in several games they had no business being in. When his OHL year ended, he joined Canada at the U-18s and helped backstop them to a gold medal, coming up big when it mattered.
Second Team
C: Berkly Catton, Spokane (WHL)
RW: Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, Mora (Swe. 2)
LW: Cole Eiserman, U.S. NTDP (USHL)
D: Sam Dickinson, London (OHL)
D: Zayne Parekh, Saginaw (OHL)
G: Mikhail Yegorov, Omaha (USHL)
Catton was exceptional this season, and he edges out the likes of Cayden Lindstrom, Konsta Helenius and Cole Beaudoin for the honor of being named to the second team. He was stellar for Spokane all year, leading all NHL draft eligibles in scoring across the CHL by a wide margin. He captained Canada to a Hlinka Gretzky Cup win to kick off his year and never looked back.
On the wings, we have one of the most productive goal-scorers in the NHL draft class in Cole Eiserman and one of the most intelligent two-way forwards who was fantastic in the Swedish second level in Michael Brandsegg-Nygard.
Eiserman broke the all-time goal-scoring record for the USA Hockey National Team Development Program and helped them to a silver medal at the U-18s. Brandsegg-Nygard lacks team accomplishments since he represents Norway internationally, but he more than deserves this spot on the second squad.
Fans, analysts and scouts wondered all season long which of OHL defenders Zayne Parekh and Sam Dickinson would come out on top. Thankfully, both can take a spot on this second-team NHL draft squad.
They both won gold at the Hlinka, both reached the Memorial Cup final with their clubs and both will likely go fairly high in the draft. Dickinson helped the London Knights to an OHL championship. Parekh helped his team win the Memorial Cup while being named the CHL defenseman of the year and collecting other personal awards.
A goaltender who emerged throughout the season as a true go-to tendy in the USHL caps of the second team. The 6-foot-4 Mikhail Yegorov has caught the attention of scouts across the hockey world because of his size and prowess in net for an Omaha team that needed him on a lot of nights. His record wasn’t sterling, but the Lancers were terrible in front of him this season. Some recognition on the second team is well-deserved for a netminder who was shelled night in and night out.
Get the latest news and trending stories right to your inbox by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here.