Biggest Surprises From Round 1 Of The 2024 NHL Draft

After a wire-to-wire run as hockey’s prime prospect, Boston College freshman Macklin Celebrini shocked nobody when he turned the first-ever first-overall decide of the San Jose Sharks on Day 1 of the 2024 NHL Draft in Vegas.

Celebrini was welcomed to the group by Sharks franchise legend Joe Thornton — a No. 1 decide himself again in 1997, though that was with the Boston Bruins.

Shortly after that, the true enjoyable started.

Regardless of what number of rankings and mock drafts flow into within the days and weeks main as much as the occasion, there are all the time loads of surprises when the names are known as.

Listed here are a few of Friday’s greatest splashes, so as of look:

No. 3 – Anaheim Geese choose Beckett Sennecke

The TV digicam coaching in on his face wasn’t sufficient to tip off Oshawa Generals proper winger Beckett Sennecke that he was about to listen to his title known as third total by the previous Anaheim Geese defenseman Scott Niedermayer — who was drafted at No. 3 himself by the New Jersey Devils again in 1991.

Sennecke moved from No. 15 to No. 13 amongst North American skaters between the mid-term and last draft rankings by NHL Central Scouting. A development spurt noticed him sprout as much as 6-foot-3, and his draft inventory spiked when he put up 22 factors in 16 video games earlier than bowing out of the OHL’s Jap Convention Remaining with an damage.

Boasting a combination of energy and finesse in his recreation, Sennecke turned the primary participant chosen from the Canadian Hockey League. His choice additionally served discover that possibly this wasn’t going to be ‘the 12 months of the defenseman’ in any case.

Terik Parascak additionally seemed to be daydreaming when the Washington Capitals known as his title at No. 17. The high-scoring proper winger got here out of nowhere to place up 105 factors as a WHL rookie with the Prince George Cougars in 2023-24. That vaulted him into first-round vary after he completed at No. 15 on Central Scouting’s listing of North American skaters.

No. 5 – Celine Dion pronounces Montreal Canadiens’ collection of Ivan Demidov

With 24 Stanley Cups together with the newest win by a Canadian staff again in 1993, the Montreal Canadiens are the NHL’s most storied franchise.

World famous person Celine Dion was born in Charlemagne, Quebec, about 15 miles exterior of Montreal’s downtown core. Today, as she works to beat well being points, Dion makes frequent appearances at NHL occasions together with her three sons, and refers to herself as a ‘hockey mother.’

A protracted-time resident of Las Vegas, Dion introduced her trademark emotion to her announcement of her hometown staff’s first decide of the day, ultra-skilled Russian proper wing Ivan Demidov.

No. 6 – Tij Iginla change into first-ever draft decide of Utah Hockey Membership

All the thrill urged that the fast-rising sharpshooter Iginla was destined to go at No. 9 to the Calgary Flames, the place his Corridor of Fame father Jarome Iginla spent the very best years of his NHL profession and at the moment serves as a particular advisor to Calgary GM and shut good friend Craig Conroy.

However the brand-new Utah franchise swept in and foiled that plan, with house owners Ryan and Ashley Smith banking on Iginla to be the torch-bearer for his or her franchise — although not instantly. He’ll possible return to the Kelowna Rockets of the Western Hockey League for not less than another 12 months earlier than he turns professional.

Tij additionally steals some bragging rights by being chosen 5 spots larger than his extremely embellished father, who was chosen at No. 11 by the Dallas Stars again in 1995.

Afterward Friday, Utah added a second first-round decide by buying and selling three picks to the Colorado Avalanche. At No. 24, the brand new staff chosen huge middle Cole Beaudoin from the OHL’s Barrie Colts.

No. 7 – Ottawa kicks off run of protection picks by deciding on Carter Yakemchuk

It wasn’t shocking to see Belarusian blueliner Artyom Levshunov go second total to Chicago. He’s a coveted proper shot who has been taking part in in opposition to males at Michigan State College, and demonstrated a maturity in his recreation.

It was shocking that 4 extra picks glided by earlier than one other blueliner was chosen — and that the second defenseman focused was Yakemchuk, the 6-foot-3, 30-goal scorer from the WHL’s Calgary Hitmen.

Yakemchuk can also be a proper shot, as was the following defensemen taken, Zayne Parekh, at No. 9 by the Flames.

Then got here the three high-end lefties: towering 6-foot-7 Russian Anton Silayev to New Jersey at No. 10, 6-foot-3 London Knights rearguard Sam Dickinson to San Jose at No. 11 and Frozen 4 champion Zeev Buium from the College of Denver to Buffalo at 12.

No. 13 – Michael Buffer pronounces Philadelphia Flyers’ collection of Jett Luchanko

Maybe the one voice that would outdo Celine on the drama scale, legendary ring announcer and Philadelphia native Michael Buffer stepped to the microphone to welcome Guelph Storm pivot Jett Luchanko to the Flyers with the thirteenth decide.

No. 15 and No. 23: Michael Brandsegg-Nygard and Stian Solberg change into first Norwegian gamers ever chosen within the first spherical

It was a tough draft 12 months for Sweden, which didn’t place a single participant within the first spherical.

One participant from their second-tier professional league, Allsvenskan, did get chosen. However proper wing Michael Brandsegg-Nygard of Mora hails from Oslo, Norway. When the Detroit Pink Wings picked him at No. 15, he turned the one Norwegian ever to be chosen within the first spherical of the NHL draft.

That distinctive standing lasted roughly an hour. At No. 23, Anaheim grabbed defenseman Stian Solberg out of Norway’s nationwide league.

The Remaining Tallies

By the tip of Day 1, solely a handful of trades had taken place — all involving draft-pick swaps. The Chicago Blackhawks completed the day because the busiest staff, including a first-rounder from the Carolina Hurricanes that enabled them to added Brantford Bulldogs left wing Marek Vanacker at No. 27 along with Levshunov at No. 2 and middle Sacha Boisvert from the USHL’s Muskegon Lumberjacks at No. 18.

And whereas the Western Hockey League received the early a part of the day, placing 4 gamers into the High 10, Parascak was the one different WHL participant chosen, leaving the league 5 first first-rounders in complete.

The Ontario Hockey League led the day with 9 first-round alternatives, giving the Canadian Hockey League 14 first-round picks in complete. No gamers have been chosen within the first spherical from the QMJHL in 2024.

Of the remaining 18, 4 got here from the USHL, three every from the NCAA and from Russia, two from the U.S. Nationwide Workforce Growth Program, Finland and Norway (with one coming by way of Sweden). One Czech participant, defenseman Adam Jiricek, was chosen at No. 16 by the St. Louis Blues and the sector was rounded out by towering 6-foot-7 ahead Dean Letourneau, who performed Canadian prep college hockey at St. Andrew’s Faculty and was chosen twenty fifth total by the Boston Bruins.

Day 2 of the draft goes Saturday from Sphere, beginning at 11:30 a.m. ET.