Macklin Celebrini (C, L, 6’0″, 190, Boston University, 06/13/2006, Boston University)
2024 NHL Draft Grade: A
NCAA: Boston College at Boston University, February 5, 2024:
Game Grade: A
Comments: In previous viewings throughout the last three seasons, Celebrini has always earned an ‘A’ grade. No matter if at Shattuck, with Chicago (USHL), and now with BU, he always succeeds. He was involved early and often influenced the game positively. He logged lots of minutes throughout the game and in all situations. The beauty of Celebrini he does not even play with wingers – ‘Helicopter Line’. He made a nice, deceptive play scoring the 1st goal in the 1st period by holding the puck as he entered the offensive zone, selling a pass, yet released a quick and well-placed shot just over the goalie’s right pad. He then scored on the power play later in the 1st period on an NHL caliber 1-timer, high over the glove on the short side. Remarkably, he drew the penalty after being hit from behind along the boards just before scoring. In the 2nd period, after entering the offensive zone there was a turnover, yet amazingly he read the play and was back on the puck carrier by the defensive zone blue line to break the play up. Late in the game, he made a crafty, little pass on his backhand off the wall to spring #11 Tuch in all alone down the slot when the Terriers barely held a 1-goal lead. If one had to nitpick a play, he kind of made a blind breakout pass in the 1st period, although luckily no turnover resulted, but he is human and just 17 years old. Celebrini excels in all aspects of the game with skating, shooting, passing, puck skills, competitive nature, and has intelligence and awareness with and without the puck. Whatever NHL team picks in the upcoming draft, they are receiving a gamer.
NCAA: Northeastern at Boston University, January 9, 2024:
Game Grade: A
Comments: Celebrini was flying in his first game back after the world juniors. He explodes up ice with the puck on his stick and consistently works his way into the offensive end with ease. He has highly skilled hands and times his moves well to avoid pressure. He was very hard to knock of the puck tonight. His head is always up when in motion and he finds small lanes to slide the puck through and executes dangerous seam passes to create chances across the zone. Without the puck on his stick, Macklin stays in motion and slips into open space to become a great passing target. He is no softie either. He takes contact well and has a strong core making him near immovable while in motion. He forechecks hard, winning races to loose pucks and is not afraid to throw his weight around. He is no slacker in the defensive end, constantly scanning and moving to cut off lanes/space from opponents. He has an active stick and uses his reach in combination with body positioning to shut down passing lanes. Mack’s night was capped off with a powerplay goal in the third period. He wired a heavy one timer top shelf to give his team the lead late in the game. Celebrini is a very talented and well-rounded player that shows off high IQ reads, quick paced play, and looks a level above his opponents in the NCAA in each game.
WJC: CANADA at SWEDEN. DECEMBER 29, 2023:
Game Grade: A-
Comments: Macklin deserved much more ice time than he was given tonight. He is one of Canada’s most dynamic players and generated chances every time he was on the ice in this game. He consistently plays at a high level and is able to execute complex moves/passes at top speed. He has elite hands and was able to weave through opponents with quick cuts. His head is always up, and he finds teammates with quick, smart passes that generate chances on the rush as well as in the offensive zone. It seems like every time he has the puck on his stick, he finds the perfect option for where to move next. His speed, skill, and IQ combo make it very difficult to steal the puck from him or corner him along the boards. He chooses smart lanes consistently and very rarely skates himself into bad ice. His play without the puck was great tonight as well. He gives it his all every shift on the forecheck, backcheck, and while on defense in the neutral and defensive zones. He digs deep to win races to loose pucks, battles hard along the boards, and plays a positionally sound defensive game that allows him to cut off potential chances. Another thing that I love about Macklin’s game is his ability to get into open ice without the puck. He is constantly in motion and is consistently able to slip into smart areas that turn him into a quality option for his teammates. He was given time on the top power play unit tonight as a one-time option on the circle and let his heavy shot rip multiple times. He generated a ton of chances for his team tonight and deserved to be playing top line minutes, especially at the end of the game where his team was down and needed some goals. Celebrini is my #1 overall pick.
WJC: CANADA at LATVIA, DECEMBER 27, 2023
Game Grade: A
Comments: Macklin had his breakout game tonight. He finished the night with 1 goal and 4 assists and was by far the best player for Canada today. He is incredibly confident and understands how to play a smart, fast paced style of hockey every time he hops over the boards. He is a great problem solver and constantly creates offense, even when under extreme pressure or when initial options are taken away. He never forces a play and is patient/willing to circle back in order to find the best available option every time he possesses the puck. He has elite hands and uses them to weave through the entire defense with quick fakes and skilled drag moves to embarrass defenders. His playmaking is fantastic. He always has his head up and finds teammates in dangerous areas in the offensive zone. He takes risks and is able to complete many dangerous passes through traffic. He uses fake shot passes to set up redirections in the crease and could have easily finished with another 2-3 assists with a couple of lucky bounces for his teammates in the crease. He was given power play time where snapped the puck around quickly and unleashed his heavy wrist shot towards the goal many times. One of his best assists in the game came in the first period where he flew up ice with possession and cut towards the middle after entering the zone which drew all of the defensive attention to him. With his head up he found a teammate close behind and slid a pass onto his stick for a shot from the slot. Macklin understands that the defensive focus is on him and uses his movements to manipulate defenders to create space for his teammates. Another great trait that he showed today was his ability to receive difficult passes with ease. He scored his goal on a breakaway which was created with a hard stretch pass which Celebrini had to receive under pressure and on his backhand. He then exploded into the offensive zone and beat the goalie 1v1 with a quick move to the backhand. He didn’t spend much time in the defensive zone today but was attentive and showed good effort in his own end. Macklin continues to have a fantastic draft year and will be the right pick in the first overall spot next June.
NCAA: BOSTON UNIVERSITY at CORNELL, NOVEMBER 25, 2023
Game Grade: A
Comments: Macklin is the youngest player in the entire NCAA but has looked dominant all year. He was flying tonight, showing off a powerful stride and some quick feet to propel himself around the ice. He keeps his feet moving in all three zones and is trusted in all situations. He processes the game at a very high pace and is a fantastic transition player. His elite hands make it easy to slip through every opponent on his way to set up in the OZ. He showed off some flashy through the legs dekes past defenders and some simple fakes using quick stick handles and cuts on his inside edges. He is patient with the puck and has a nice delay game/ability to change pace in order to create and find chances to move the puck to dangerous areas. He kept his head up all game and was able to pull off some gorgeous seam passes, drop passes to trailing teammates, and behind the back passes that hit his teammates in stride. He also head manned the puck at opportunistic times to set up the rush. One in particular he caught a teammate cutting up ice in his peripheral and fired a perfect pass onto his tape in stride in the NZ which set up a breakaway chance. He is insanely confident with the puck and able to take on 2, sometimes even three players at top speed and keep possession. On the power play he does a fantastic job on the half wall, cycling the puck to the point and below the net while staying in motion to execute trick passing plays and set up chances. He has a heavy one timer which was used often in this game getting multiple shots on cage and couple of dangerous chances around the net. Mack was also trusted with a lot of PK time in this one. He was an effective penalty killer and was able to stay in lanes to shut down potential opportunities for Cornell. He slips into space well without the puck and is a guy that opponents have to keep an eye on at all times to make sure he doesn’t sneak past for dangerous opportunities. Celebrini’s poise and confidence are really impressive for his age and with 22P in 13GP he seems to have already graduated from the NCAA. I think Macklin is an easy pick for first overall in this year’s draft. He reminds me a lot of Logan Cooley, a really fun player to watch who has all of the skill, brains, and confidence to dominate every time he hops over the boards.
USHL: CHICAGO at YOUNGSTOWN MAY 8, 2023
Game Rating: B+
Celebrini showed tonight that he is a great forward on the cycle who can outwork the opposition in every facet of the game offensively. He likely profiles as a strong two way forward who can play on a power play usually down low. Even though he is not the biggest player on the ice, his scrap level allows him to compete in front of the net. His get up right when he gets the puck makes him hard to play against on the rush and in small areas.
U18 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: CANADA at SWEDEN, APRIL 20, 2023
Game Rating: B
Played 17:17, 1:47 on the PP, 3:20 PK, -2, 3 shots, 1 PP shot, 3 grade ‘A’, 4 PIMs, 10/22 on face-offs, received 1 hard hit, 8 giveaways, 6 takeaways and he won 61% of his 18 puck battles. Celebrini is a slightly below average sized left shot center with the skating ability and puck poise to dictate the pace of play whether has the puck on his stick or not. Early in the game there were times when it seemed as though Sweden’s transition and puck movement had his spinning, but as the game wore on he defended from inside the dots and took over shifts. In the defensive zone he was reliable in low support using his quick stick to force turnovers and then he would jump past his man into the open ice looking for a pass from his teammate. During wall battles he spun his hips to make sure he was on the defensive or net side of the puck and when he received a pass he was well prepared to make the next play as he was constantly looking over his shoulders to locate positive options. He had three grade ‘A’ opportunities with two of them coming on catch and release snapshots while he was the middle drive and the third coming during an offensive zone cycle where he pushed off the defender to find the quiet area for a one-timer. He took two offensive zone penalties with the second coming while Canada was already killing a penalty.
U18: FINLAND 17@CAN U17 BLACK, NOVEMBER 4, 2022
Game Rating: A
Macklin was clearly the most dangerous offensive driver on the ice tonight for both teams. Although they lost 5-1 to Finland in this viewing, the shots were even and the two teams were pretty evenly matched. Macklin put on a display of great skating, excellent puck skills and some hockey IQ and creativity that the pro scouts will love. He is both a dangerous shooter with a quick release shot, and he is a dangerous play maker with great skating skills that allow him to buy that little bit of ice to be as creative as he is. On one particular play he was attacking 2 on 2 to the net, did a180 degree spin and skating backwards set up his trail man for a great chance. When Macklin attacks he does so at full speed and is a more than competent puck handler at full flight. From a wide net drive Macklin cut and beat the defenseman to the net, dropped puck and stick back between his legs and scored on the deception shot. Full marks for having the confidence to try that move in a tight game which at the time tied the game up 1-1. Later after the goal Macklin just missed a couple of other slot rips he earned, just missing. He wins more than his share of faceoffs and puts in effort all over the ice. With elite skating and elite playmaking he is sure to rise to the top of the draft class next year.
USHL FALL CLASSIC, SEPTEMBER 25, 2022
Game Rating: A
Celebrini is a rare prospect given his age and maturity level and very-well may be the most complete player in the league. A strong and balanced skater, honest two-way centerman who won a high percentage of faceoffs and supported the puck in all three-zones. A 16-year-old rookie made an immediate impact with a goal and two assists in his first two games in the league. His goal against Fargo was on the 5v3 power play on an explosive release from the top circles that beat the goalie clean. His two assists came against Sioux City, one was a shot through that was rebounded and another was a slick centering pass from behind the net showing his vision and touch on his passes. What is most impressive about his game are the details; he’s a serious competitor, he stops on the puck, he angles opponents in his own end inside out, he times his swings on the breakout, gets open for his teammates away from the puck, stays on the defensive side of scrums. The Shattuck standout and top WHL draft pick is another level not just in physical skill but in his mental game and approach. He gets low in his stance to win puck battles, he doesn’t expose the puck but can still make high skill plays, he knows when to go wide on a defender and when to cut in and sets up his teammates all over the ice making everyone around him better. It’s rare for younger players at this level to play special teams and in key moments but he logged a lot of ice and played in all-situations. Celebrini is a special player and was promoted to a 5-star right after his performance here which makes him the lone ’06 5-star prospect in North America at this point. He’s not Shane Wright but he has some similarities in that he’s not overly dynamic offensively but he’s a complete, 200ft prospect with strong edges and mature, well-rounded game.
USHL: SIOUX CITY at CHICAGO, SEPTEMBER 23, 2022
Game Rating: B+
Celebrini for being a tender ’06 birth date was good and unfortunately got injured half-way through the game. He made the initial play own the 1st goal as he made good 1v1 move around defenseman as faked outside and cut back inside although goalie then made the save, yet Celebrini stayed with the play and gathered puck behind the net and found #13 Harvey for the goal. He sees the ice well and plays developing. He also then assisted on the 3rd goal after taking pass in the slot from #18 Perron, he quickly fired a shot that came off the end board, and #13 Harvey tapped in for the goal out front. For a 16-Year old, he played a mature, smart, cerebral overall game. He will be a player that gets plenty of eyes this season and next year for 2024 NHL Draft.
Photo Credit; Dan Hickling/Hickling Images