The San Jose Sharks are the winners of the Mackin Celebrini sweepstakes.
San Jose got its first no. 1 pick in franchise history after being victorious at the 2024 NHL Draft Lottery on Tuesday night. The Sharks’ 19-54-9 record in the regular season ranked last in the NHL, giving them the best odds (18.5 percent) of winning the lottery.
OFFICIALLY OFFICIAL: The @SanJoseSharks will select first overall in the 2024 #NHLDraft! 🦈 pic.twitter.com/xbuwCfpfV1
— NHL (@NHL) May 7, 2024
“I was thrilled,” Sharks GM Mike Grier told ESPN’s John Buccigross after the announcement. “It’s a big moment for the organization and the fans here to be able to have the opportunity to draft someone like Macklin. It’s a tough year for us. To have this opportunity, we couldn’t be more excited.”
SCREAMING, CRYING, THROWING UP. pic.twitter.com/jM2cHGRGD3
— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) May 7, 2024
The Chicago Blackhawks saw their number called for the second overall pick and will draft top-two for the second year in a row.
The first overall selection in the 2024 #NHLDraft goes to the @SanJoseSharks! 1️⃣ pic.twitter.com/KGpIIvdJgL
— NHL (@NHL) May 7, 2024
Celebrini ranked third in NCAA scoring in his freshman season, recording 64 points (32g, 32a) for the Boston University Terriers. He became just the fourth freshman in NCAA history to win the Hobey Baker Memorial Award.
Originally from Vancouver, Celebrini spent time in the Bay area as a child, per ESPN. His father Rick Celebrini serves as Vice President of Player Health and Performance for the NBA’s Golden State Warriors and the family has a home in the area. The younger Celebrini even spent a season as a San Jose Junior Shark in 2019-20.
The Washington Capitals will have the 17th pick this year after their first-round loss to the New York Rangers. The draft will take place in Las Vegas on June 28-29.
Here’s the full press release from the NHL:
Sharks Win Lottery and First Selection in 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft; Blackhawks Land 2nd Overall Pick
SECAUCUS, N.J. (May 7, 2024) — The San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks own the first and second overall drafting positions, respectively, for the First Round of the 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft as a result of the 2024 NHL Draft Lottery, conducted this evening at NHL Network’s Secaucus, N.J., studio.
Participants in the Draft Lottery included all teams that did not qualify for the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs (or the teams that have acquired the first-round drafting positions of those non-playoff teams).
Two draws were conducted to determine the order of selection for the first 16 picks in the First Round of the Draft. Among the changes to the Draft Lottery format announced on March 23, 2021, there was a limit on the total number of selections (10) a team participating in the Draft Lottery could “move up” in the event it won one of the Lottery Draws. Thus, only the top 11 seeds were eligible to receive the first overall selection.
The order of selection for the first 16 picks of the First Round, only, of the 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft is as follows:
1. San Jose Sharks
2. Chicago Blackhawks
3. Anaheim Ducks
4. Columbus Blue Jackets
5. Montreal Canadiens
6. Utah
7. Ottawa Senators
8. Seattle Kraken
9. Calgary Flames
10. New Jersey Devils
11. Buffalo Sabres
12. Philadelphia Flyers
13. Minnesota Wild
14. San Jose Sharks (from Pittsburgh)
15. Detroit Red Wings
16. St. Louis BluesThe remaining positions are determined by the results of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Sharks Win No. 1 Drafting Position
In the drawing that determined the No. 1 drafting position, the Sharks’ combinations had the greatest percentage likelihood of being selected based on inverse order of regular-season finish (18.5%).
The Sharks have never selected first overall in franchise history. San Jose has picked second overall three times: 1991 (Pat Falloon), 1996 (Andrei Zyuzin) and 1997 (Patrick Marleau).
Blackhawks Win No. 2 Drafting Position
In the drawing that determined the No. 2 drafting position, the Blackhawks had the greatest percentage likelihood among the remaining clubs eligible for selection (16.6%).
The Blackhawks have selected second overall once before, in 1965 (Andy Culligan).
Winning Combinations for Sharks, Blackhawks
For each of the two drawings, 14 balls, numbered 1 to 14, were placed in a lottery machine. The machine randomly selected four balls. The resulting four-number series (without regard to selection order) was matched against a chart that shows all possible combinations and the clubs to which each was assigned. The chart showed that the Sharks had been assigned the numbers (2-7-10-11) that were expelled in the first drawing, followed by the Blackhawks (3-6-11-14) in the second drawing.
2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft at Sphere
The 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft will be held at Sphere in Las Vegas on Friday, June 28 and Saturday, June 29. It marks the first time the Draft will be held in Las Vegas and the first event televised live from Sphere.
The event will take place over two days: Friday, June 28 (Round 1, televised on ESPN, ESPN+, Sportsnet and TVA Sports, starting at 4 p.m. PT) and Saturday, June 29 (Rounds 2-7, televised on ESPN+, NHL Network, Sportsnet and SN1, starting at 8:30 a.m. PT).
Top Prospects and Scouting Combine
NHL Central Scouting has released its final rankings for the 2024 NHL Draft, where Boston University (Hockey East) forward Macklin Celebrini tops the list of North America-based skaters and Nizhny Novgorod (KHL) defenseman Anton Silayev leads all Europe-based skaters.
The 2024 NHL Scouting Combine, showcasing the top draft-eligible North American and international prospects, will be held from June 2-8 at KeyBank Center and LECOM Harborcenter in Buffalo, N.Y.
