With ten picks on Friday night, the USHL tied a league record for most picks in Round 1 of the NHL Draft previously set in 2016
The first round of the 2024 NHL Draft is in the books. Ten players with USHL ties heard their name called in Round 1, beginning with former Chicago Steel forward Macklin Celebrini going No. 1 overall to the San Jose Sharks.
Celebrini became the first player in league history to win USHL Rookie, Forward, and Player of the Year honors all in the same season. The 18-year-old led the league in goals (46), points (86), game-winning goals (8), and power-play goals (21) in 2022-23.
Celebrini went on to enjoy a remarkable freshmen season at Boston University, where he recorded 32 goals and 32 assists, making his 64 points the third-most among all NCAA skaters. Further, he became the youngest recipient of the Hobey Bakey Award.
Including Celebrini, the USHL saw ten players with league ties taken in Round 1 of the 2024 NHL Draft, tying the 2016 NHL Draft for most picks in the first round.
Here is the complete list of players with USHL ties selected on Friday night.
Round 1, Pick 1: Macklin Celebrini, F (San Jose Sharks)
Round 1, Pick 2: Artyom Levshunov, D (Chicago Blackhawks)
Round 1, Pick 12: Zeev Buium, D (Minnesota Wild)
Round 1, Pick 18: Sacha Boisvert, F (Chicago Blackhawks)
Round 1, Pick 19: Trevor Connelly, F (Vegas Golden Knights)
Round 1, Pick 20: Cole Eiserman, F (New York Islanders)
Round 1, Pick 21: Michael Hage, F (Montreal Canadiens)
Round 1, Pick 25: Dean Letourneau, F (Boston Bruins)
Round 1, Pick 28: Matvei Gridin, F (Calgary Flames)
Round 1, Pick 30: EJ Emery, D (New York Rangers)
The 2024 NHL Draft continues on Saturday with Rounds 2-7 as the USHL will look to extend its streak of 50-plus players selected with league ties to seven consecutive years.