The day after Nathan MacKinnon (Colorado Avalanche) was awarded the MVP trophy, the NHL held its draft on Friday in Las Vegas. The San Jose Sharks, who had inherited the No. 1 pick after finishing last in the regular season, selected the young Canadian Macklin Celebrini (18 years old). In his first season with Boston University, he was voted best player of the NCAA Championship.
Belarusian defenseman Artyom Levshunov (Michigan State University) was selected second overall by the Chicago Blackhawks, while the Anaheim Ducks selected Canadian forward Beckett Sennecke (Oshawa Generals, Ontario Junior League) third overall.
Two Norwegians chosen in first round
Among the other choices in the first round of the draft, the Utah Hockey Club, the new NHL franchise (formerly Arizona Coyotes), retained Tij Iginla, son of Jarome Iginla, star of the North American league in the 2000s (1,300 career points scored and two-time Olympic champion). The first Quebecer selected was Sacha Boisvert, by the Chicago Blackhawks in 18th place.
In fifth place, the Montreal Canadiens drafted Ivan Demidov, an 18-year-old Russian forward who played for SKA Saint Petersburg. He is the first player who played in Europe to be selected in the 2024 draft. Finally, two Norwegians were chosen in the first round: Michael Brandsegg-Nygard by the Detroit Red Wings and Stian Solberg by the Anaheim Ducks.
