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On the second day of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, four Terrier recruits heard their names called by NHL teams. NTDP defenseman Cole Hutson was selected by Washington in the second round at #43. The New Jersey Devils traded up to gain the #49 pick and took 6'5" goalie Mikhail Yegorov, a 2025 recruit, who was the second goalie taken in the draft. At #61, the Islanders, who had drafted Cole Eiserman in the first round, tapped his frequent NTDP centerman Kamil Bednarik.
Then, in the third round, Chicago chose BCHL All-Rookie right wing Jack Pridham at #92. Pridham will spend a second season at West Kelowna before arriving in 2025. Callum Hughes, also a BCHL All-Rookie, was not drafted, nor was 2024 recruit Alex Zetterberg, who was a standout for Sweden in international play.
As expected throughout the hockey world for more than a year, Terrier All-American center Macklin Celebrini was the top overall pick in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, selected by the San Jose Sharks who had won the draft lottery. He is the second Terrier to be the #1 overall selection, joining goalie Rick DiPietro, taken first by the Islanders in 2000, and the fifth NCAA player to be the top pick. Celebrini also is the first Hobey Baker Award winner to be the first overall selection. He was joined on the stage at the Vegas Sphere by Sharks GM Mike Grier, who also was a BU All-American.
Celebrini was second among NCAA players with 32 goals and third with 64 points in 38 games for the Terriers. He also was Hockey East's top scorer with 44 points in 23 conference games.
While Celebrini has yet to reveal whether he'll sign with the Sharks this summer or return to BU for a second season, it's widely believed that he'll turn pro. BU Head Coach Jay Pandolfo has stated he'd love to have his star center back but will support whichever decision he makes.
Incoming freshman Cole Eiserman became the second Terrier taken in the first round when the Islanders selected him with the 20th pick. The Newberryport, Mass., native and NTDP standout set a new program career record for goals with 127, helping Team USA win gold in the 2023 World U17 championships and silver in this year's event. Prior to playing for the NTDP, Eiserman and Celebrini were high-scoring linemates for Shattuck St. Mary's prep team as under-agers.
With the two selections, BU has now had 24 first-round picks, including 15 in the past 10 drafts. Overall, 198 Terriers have been drafted by NHL teams. Several BU recruits, including Kamil Bednarik, Cole Hutson, Mikhail Yegorov and Alex Zetterberg, are expected to be selected on Day 2 of the NHL Entry Draft.
Jack Eichel and Charlie McAvoy were among the first six players named to Team USA's roster for next season's Four Nation's Face-off in Boston and Montreal in February. The US will face squads from Finland, Canada and Sweden.
Evan Rodrigues
became the 12th Terrier to win the Stanley Cup as Florida edged
Edmonton, 2-1, in game 7 of the Cup Finals, ending the Oilers' comeback
dreams. ERod, whose assist on the Panthers' first goal was his 15 th
playoff point (7G,8A), led his team with four goals in the finals. He
joins his Terrier linemate, Jack Eichel, who won the Cup a year ago with Las Vegas.
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“I can’t say it’s been easy, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.”
The NHL Entry Draft is set for this Friday and Saturday and as many as eight Terriers will be anxiously waiting to hear their names called. We already know that San Jose GM Mike Grier will use the first overall choice to make Macklin Celebrini the second Terrier to be the first pick in an NHL draft. Goalie Rick DiPietro had that honor in the 2000 draft, selected by the Islanders.
Forward Cole Eiserman will almost certainly be the second Terrier selected in the opening round. Center Kamil Bednarik, defenseman Cole Hutson and (2025 recruit) goalie Mikhail Yegorov have been projected as likely second or third round picks. Also draft-eligible are forwards Alex Zetterberg, Jack Pridham and Callum Hughes. The last two will return to BCHL West Kelowna for a second campaign before joining Yegorov in the 2025 class.
Here are some links to media reports about these future Terriers to get you ready for the draft, beginning with a YouTube compilation of Celebrini's 32 goals from Hockey East.
►College Hockey Inc.'s draft guide (be sure to open the attached pdf) features information about current and future collegians eligible for the draft and stats about the history of college players and the draft. Among them: BU has had the second most drafted players (190) and BU is one of four schools to have four players selected in the first round of a draft (2016: Clayton Keller, Charlie McAvoy, Dante Fabbro and Kieffer Bellows).
