It's not often that draft-eligible prospects are basing their game off of a 20-year-old forward coming off of his sophomore NHL season, but that appears to be the case with 2027 NHL Draft prospect Carter Meyer and San Jose Sharks forward Macklin Celebrini.

“I was around when [Celebrini] was [at Boston University], and that was so fun to watch,” Meyer told The Hockey News' Ryan Kennedy. “As a center and 200-foot player, it’s hard not to want to model your game after him.”

Much like Celebrini, and his father Freddy Meyer, Carter Meyer is committed to play for Boston University beginning in the 2028-29 season. While Celebrini was at Boston University during the 2023-24 season, the now 17 year old Meyer was a member of the Boston Jr. Eagles 14U AAA team. 

Celebrini and Meyer share a very similar frame, both are exactly six feet tall, with the Sharks' superstar weighing just 14 more pounds than his younger counterpart. 

"He’s a smart, hard-working forward who plays a reliable two-way game while hitting everyone in sight," Daily Faceoff's Steven Ellis wrote of Meyer, ranking him fifth in his first ranking for the 2027 Draft. "He’s not even that big – he’s just strong and willing to throw his body at everyone."

While Meyer will eventually end up following in Celebrini's footsteps at Boston University, he's currently taking a different path for himself in the meantime. He opted to leave the United States National Team Development Program and will join the Quebec Remparts for the 2026-27 season.

While Meyer is one of the first top prospects to mention Celebrini as an inspiration for his play style, he will certainly be far from the last. It seems safe to say that it'll become the norm in the very near future.