San Jose Sharks land No. 1 draft pick, projected to take son of Warriors staffer

(KRON) — The San Jose Sharks won the NHL’s draft lottery on Tuesday, meaning they will pick first in the upcoming NHL draft. The prospect projected to go first in the draft is Macklin Celebrini, the son of Golden State Warriors Director of Sports Medicine Rick Celebrini.

The Sharks finished the 2023-24 regular season with a 19-54-9 record, the worst in the NHL. They entered the draft lottery with an 18.5% chance of winning the top pick.

Macklin Celebrini, 17, is the top-ranked player by NHL Central Scouting. Despite his age, he competed for Boston University and became the youngest player to win the Hobey Baker Award, given to the top NCAA men’s hockey player. Sharks General Manager Mike Grier said he expects Celebrini will be the pick at No. 1.

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“I would think so,” Grier said. “He played 200 feet. He’s 17 but he’s got a really solid build on him already and I think he’s got a professional attitude and mentality already. I’ve talked with (coach) Jay Pandolfo at BU, and he said sometimes they have to kick him off the ice.”

Celebrini was complimentary of the Sharks’ organization in a quote provided to ESPN. He also said he lived in the Bay Area while his father was with the Warriors. Rick Celebrini has been with the team since 2018.

“Obviously San Jose is an amazing organization. It’s pretty cool. … Obviously I lived there (in the area) for a little bit growing up, with my dad with the (Golden State) Warriors (as vice president of player health and performance). They’re a great organization. If I’m fortunate enough to get drafted there I’d be very lucky,” Macklin told ESPN.

The photo below shows the Celebrini family celebrating after the Warriors’ 2022 title:

The first round of the draft will be held at the Las Vegas Sphere on June 28. Rounds 2-7 will take place the next day.

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