Las Vegas, Nev. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - The 2024 NHL Draft has come and gone in Las Vegas, as several of the best prospects in the world were lucky enough to hear their names called on Friday as a first-round pick at The Sphere.
The draft started with Macklin Celebrini, who was the top prospect overall and the prize of the 2024 class. After winning the NHL Draft Lottery in early May, the San Jose Sharks earned the top reward of the No. 1 overall pick in order to select the Hobey Baker Award center.
The Chicago Blackhawks were the next pick behind the Sharks in the draft order, which is where many considered the uncertainty of the draft to begin. However, Chicago went with, arguably, the best overall defenseman off the board in Round 1 with the selection of Artyom Levshunov out Michigan State University.
Then the draft was turned upside down with the third overall pick, which the Anaheim Ducks held. In a surprise to many across the league, the Ducks ended up selecting winger Beckett Sennecke from the Oshawa Generals in the Ontario Hockey League.
When all was said and done on Friday night, the draft belonged to Canada, with a whopping 18 prospects drafted off the board in the top-32 picks. The countries with the next most picks taken in the first round were the United States and Russia, each with four prospects off the board.
However, two prospects were taken in Round 1 of the draft out of Norway - Michael Brandsegg-Nygard and Stian Solberg. This marks the first time in NHL history to seen a Norwegian-born hockey player being selected as a first-round pick at the draft.
Check out the recap of every pick made from Friday's first round of the draft in our tracker below:
1.) San Jose Sharks
SELECTION: Macklin Celebrini - Center - Boston University (NCAA)
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2.) Chicago Blackhawks
SELECTION: Artyom Levshunov - Defense - Michigan State University (NCAA)
3.) Anaheim Ducks
SELECTION: Beckett Sennecke - Right Wing - Oshawa Generals (OHL)
4.) Columbus Blue Jackets
SELECTION: Cayden Lindstrom - Center - Medicine Hat Tigers (WHL)
5.) Montreal Canadiens
SELECTION: Ivan Demidov - Right Wing - SKA-1946 St. Petersburg (MHL)
6.) Utah Hockey Club
SELECTION: Tij Iginla - Center - Kelowna Rockets (WHL)
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7.) Ottawa Senators
SELECTION: Carter Yakemchuk - Defense - Calgary Hitmen (WHL)
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8.) Seattle Kraken
SELECTION: Berkly Catton - Center - Spokane Chiefs (WHL)
9.) Calgary Flames
SELECTION: Zayne Parekh - Defense - Saginaw Spirit (OHL)
10.) New Jersey Devils
SELECTION: Anton Silayev - Defense - Nizhny Novogorod (KHL)
11.) San Jose Sharks (from Buffalo Sabres)
SELECTION: Sam Dickinson - Defense - London Knights (OHL)
12.) Minnesota Wild (from Philadelphia Flyers)
SELECTION: Zeev Buium - Defense - University of Denver (NCAA)
13.) Philadelphia Flyers (from Minnesota Wild)
SELECTION: Jett Luchanko – Center – Guelph Storm (OHL)
14.) Buffalo Sabres (from San Jose Sharks via Pittsburgh Penguins)
SELECTION: Konsta Helenius - Center - Jukurit (Liiga)
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15.) Detroit Red Wings
SELECTION: Michael Brandsegg-Nygard – Right Wing – Mora IK (HockeyAllsvenskan)
16.) St. Louis Blues
SELECTION: Adam Jiricek - Defense - HC Plzen (Czechia)
17.) Washington Capitals
SELECTION: Terik Parascak – Right Wing – Prince George Cougars (WHL)
18.) Chicago Blackhawks (from New York Islanders)
SELECTION: Sacha Boisvert – Center – Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)
19.) Vegas Golden Knights
SELECTION: Trevor Connelly - Left Wing - Tri-City Storm (USHL)
20.) New York Islanders (from Chicago Blackhawks via Tampa Bay Lightning)
SELECTION: Cole Eiserman – Left Wing – United States National Team Development Program
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21.) Montreal Canadiens (from Los Angeles Kings)
SELECTION: Michael Hage - Center - Chicago Steel (USHL)
22.) Nashville Predators
SELECTION: Yegor Surin - Center - Loko Yaroslavl (MHL)
23.) Anaheim Ducks (from Toronto Maple Leafs)
SELECTION: Stian Solberg – Defense – Valerenga (Norway)
24.) Utah Hockey Club (from Colorado Avalanche)
SELECTION: Cole Beaudoin – Center – Barrie Colts (OHL)
25.) Boston Bruins (from Ottawa Senators from Detroit Red Wings via Boston Bruins)
SELECTION: Dean Letourneau – Center – St. Andrew’s College (USHS)
26.) Los Angeles Kings (from Montreal Canadiens via Winnipeg Jets)
SELECTION: Liam Greentree – Right Wing – Windsor Spitfires (OHL)
27.) Chicago Blackhawks (from Carolina Hurricanes)
SELECTION: Marek Vanacker - Left Wing - Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)
28.) Calgary Flames (from Vancouver Canucks)
SELECTION: Matvei Gridin - Right Wing - Muskegon Lumberjacks (USHL)
29.) Dallas Stars
SELECTION: Emil Hemming - Right Wing - TPS (Liiga)
30.) New York Rangers
SELECTION: E.J. Emery - Defense - United States National Team Development Program
31.) Toronto Maple Leafs (from Anaheim Ducks via Edmonton Oilers)
SELECTION: Ben Danford - Defense - Oshawa Generals (OHL)
32.) Edmonton Oilers (from Philadelphia Flyers via Florida Panthers)
SELECTION: Sam O'Reilly - Right Wing - London Knights (OHL)
