Macklin Celebrini arrived as a bit of an unknown.
Sure, his fellow invitees at CanadaB次元官网网址檚 selection camp for the 2024 world junior hockey championship had seen the highlights and heard the chatter.
B次元官网网址淚 know heB次元官网网址檚 good,B次元官网网址� centre Owen Beck said with a grin after the teamB次元官网网址檚 first on-ice session. B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 know a ton.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淔irst time IB次元官网网址檝e skated with him,B次元官网网址� added defenceman Denton Mateychuk.
The group is getting an introduction to the 17-year-old centre expected to go high B次元官网网址� potentially No. 1 B次元官网网址� at JuneB次元官网网址檚 NHL draft in Las Vegas.
If there were any doubts, they quickly melted away.
B次元官网网址淗e doesnB次元官网网址檛 play his age,B次元官网网址� said goaltender Mathias Rousseau. B次元官网网址淧lays a more mature game. More mature even with his size. HeB次元官网网址檚 a great player.B次元官网网址�
Celebrini has been ripping up the NCAA in his first season at Boston University with 10 goals and 25 points in 15 games against opponents sometimes seven or eight years his senior.
The Vancouver native was also named the USHLB次元官网网址檚 player of the year at age 16 in 2022-23 after putting up 46 goals and 86 points in 50 games with the Chicago Steel.
Still, most of the 29 other hopefuls looking to make CanadaB次元官网网址檚 roster for the world juniors in Gothenburg, Sweden, had never shared the ice with the six-foot, 190-pound Celebrini until walking into OakvilleB次元官网网址檚 Sixteen Mile Sports Complex.
B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檝e been talking a little bit, having a couple of laughs,B次元官网网址� said forward Conor Geekie. B次元官网网址淵ou can tell heB次元官网网址檚 a pro already. ThatB次元官网网址檚 what makes him so special, itB次元官网网址檚 just how he carries himself.
B次元官网网址淗eB次元官网网址檚 only 17 years old. Excited to see where it goes.B次元官网网址�
For his part, Celebrini is just trying to fit in ahead of the under-20 showcase that gets going Dec. 26 after missing out on the summer under-18 Hlinka Gretzky Cup with a shoulder injury.
B次元官网网址淲e have a great group,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 just selection camp, but hopefully we get going and we build some chemistry. IB次元官网网址檓 just excited.B次元官网网址�
Canada head coach Alan Letang, like most of his players, only knew Celebrini largely from video and scouting before the group assembled west of Toronto.
B次元官网网址淓ven in the lineup of drills, heB次元官网网址檚 always touching the puck and heB次元官网网址檚 always stickhandling,B次元官网网址� Letang said. B次元官网网址淗eB次元官网网址檚 just very focused on the things he needs to do to continue to be successful.B次元官网网址�
The son of Golden State Warriors director of sports medicine and performance Rick Celebrini focused on rehabbing his injury this summer while also preparing his body for the rigours of U.S. college hockey.
B次元官网网址淚 had a lot of people around me,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚 knew it wasnB次元官网网址檛 going to be easy making that transition B次元官网网址� a lot of older, heavier guys.B次元官网网址�
One player at CanadaB次元官网网址檚 camp familiar with the younger Celebrini is Fraser Minten. The pair grew up in the same B.C. hockey circles that included Connor Bedard.
B次元官网网址淗e played against my brother growing up,B次元官网网址� said Minten, who suited up four times with the Toronto Maple Leafs this season before being returned to junior. B次元官网网址淗e would just terrorize everyone.B次元官网网址�
There was even some talk around CanadaB次元官网网址檚 camp, which will be cut down to a final 23-man roster Wednesday, that Celebrini has some of the attributes that allowed Bedard to dominate last yearB次元官网网址檚 tournament, including superior edge work and an elite shot.
B次元官网网址淪imilar style,B次元官网网址� Rousseau said. B次元官网网址淗e can play.B次元官网网址�
Celebrini knows there are plenty of eyes on him B次元官网网址� both at camp, potentially the world juniors, and as the season churns towards the Sin City draft.
Despite that attention, heB次元官网网址檚 squarely focused on the next drill, the next shift, the next game.
B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 a lot to worry about right now,B次元官网网址� Celebrini said. B次元官网网址淛ust trying to be the best I can be here.B次元官网网址�
CREASE COMPETITION
Rousseau is in a battle with Domenic DiVincentiis, Scott Ratzlaff and Samuel St-Hilaire for the three goaltending spots.
B次元官网网址淗ealthy competition,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淓verybody knows what the others can do. Everybody wants to prove that heB次元官网网址檚 the best. It makes everybody push harder.B次元官网网址�
The 19-year-old undrafted goaltender for the Quebec Major Junior Hockey LeagueB次元官网网址檚 Halifax Mooseheads said Thomas MilicB次元官网网址檚 performance backstopping Canada to a second straight gold at the 2023 tournament in Halifax as an undersized netminder provides inspiration.
B次元官网网址淜ind of the same story as me,B次元官网网址� said the five-foot-11, 172-pound Rousseau.
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