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Hockey Night in Canada’s Kevin Bieksa had a little fun with projected No. 1 overall NHL draft pick Macklin Celebrini and his affinity for the Vancouver Canucks during an interview Monday night.
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Celebrini, who’s from North Vancouver and has talked more than once about growing up a Canucks fan, was shown in a clip cheering on the Canucks alongside his older brother Aiden in the Rogers Arena stands during their Game 7 of the second round against the Edmonton Oilers.
In the interview on the Stanley Cup TV broadcast Bieksa quipped that Celebrini won’t be able to do that anymore soon. The NHL Draft goes June 28-29 and it would be a surprise if the San Jose Sharks called out a name other than Celebrini when they headed to the stage to announce the first selection.
Celebrini, 17, is coming off a 32-goal, 64-point season at Boston University, where his teammates included Aiden, 19, a defenceman the Canucks picked in the sixth round last year.
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“I took my opportunity in that game to get one last Canucks chant going,” Macklin told Bieksa, the former Vancouver rearguard.
Celebrini admitted afterwards that he’s taken some flak from buddies and at the NHL Combine about the cheerful clip.
The NHL had Celebrini and other top draft top prospects in Florida to watch the opening of the Stanley Cup Final series between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers. It’s something the league has been doing since 1993. The players this time around got a chance to meet with the likes of Oilers star Connor McDavid.
Celebrini would be the second straight North Vancouver product and North Shore Winter Club alum to go No. 1 overall, following the Chicago Blackhawks taking centre Connor Bedard with the top selection a year ago. Bedard had played junior with the WHL’s Regina Pats.
Celebrini is a 6-foot, 170-pound left-shot forward. Elite Prospects’ scouting report says that “Macklin Celebrini is special — there’s no other way to put it. An overwhelmingly skilled and dynamic two-way centre with franchise player potential. The best draft-year college prospect we’ve ever scouted.”
He’s the son of Rick Celebrini, who’s the vice-president of player health and performance for the Golden State Warriors. He worked for both the Canucks and Vancouver Whitecaps previously.
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