USHL Rookie of the Year: Macklin Celebrini

Macklin Celebrini is simply amazing to watch. That's all. With what cerebral talent he brings on the ice, he is just as talented with his off-ice habits. He is an amazing player to watch, with electrifying offensive talent that puts you on the edge of your seat every time he is on the ice.

Recently, Celebrini got named USHL Rookie of the Year, as it was a slam dunk decision. Celebrini, a 2006-born natural center, scored 46 goals and 86 points for tops in the league in both categories. Not only that, but Celebrini never missed a beat from when he joined the Steel in Pittsburgh for the start of the 2022-23 season at the USHL Fall Classic. There, he scored his first career USHL goal in his first USHL game against Fargo, and continued on to start the season with a 7-game point streak.

Celebrini is a premier prospect eligible for the 2024 NHL Draft. He is very likely to go first overall because of his natural goal-scoring finesse, high volume playmaking instincts that separate him as a distributor. He also brings elite special teams play (offensively and defensively), as well as positioning and tracking habits that make him elite as well.

What makes Celebrini different?

First off, Celebrini scored at an astounding rate, and proved to everyone that a 16-year-old Canadian can score at such a rate in a league like the USHL. For the USHL commonly being known as a league difficult to score in, Celebrini defied the odds, AND also didn't choose the CHL route like most Canadians would usually do at this age.

Celebrini's projectability and mature game also make him a standout prospect, as he brings high-end offensive tools that project in a translatable way for him to score in an elite way at higher levels, along with the habits/fundamentals within his game. When you first watch Celebrini, you don't see any natural flaws in his game like you would with other prospects at this age. He is physically mature enough, but also mentally mature enough as well.

Celebrini doesn't cheat on the defensive details of his game, nor does he in his compete level, allowing him to also not cheat on the offensive side of the puck. Offensively, he is highly skilled playing between checks, playing on his toes, constantly moving without the puck, shoulder checking over both shoulders to read space, he is elite in small areas and creating triangle attack sequences. His pre-scanning and puck acquisition is elite, as well as his adaptability in his puck skills and handling. Basically, he is a Chicago Steel hockey player at heart with his overall game.

USHL League Comparisons

Goals Per Game

Celebrini: 0.92

99th Percentile in USHL: 0.75

Assists Per Game

Celebrini: 0.80

99th Percentile in USHL: 0.818

Points Per Game

Celebrini: 1.720

99th Percentile in USHL: 1.295

This is incredible, as Celebrini outscored a majority of the USHL as a goal-scorer, distributor, and total point-scoring by a wide margin in comparison to the highest percentile of the league (including forwards and defensemen, in a U20 league!)

All while doing it as a 16-year-old, which is why I ask, what caused such a spark in Celebrini's game so early?

I believe it had to do with the offensive reps and power play minutes he was getting far earlier in the season, in fact right away to start the year. This helped him get going at 5v5 and 5v4 PP advantages right away. His projectability from Shattuck allowed him to make a complete transition to the USHL as a natural center as well, so that helped, but Celebrini's ice time played a huge factor early on. For players, it's easier to adapt to challenges when opportunity becomes a factor early on, as Celebrini was able to naturally adapt to challenges early on in the season.

Sure, he had to adapt his body and hockey sense to league play early on this season, but playing in a higher role with talent around him on his line, the adjustment was much faster. His first game in the USHL, Celebrini played over 17 minutes. He only had one game this season where he played under 10 minutes, including international play at the U18s with Canada recently, which was his 2nd game of the season against Sioux City.

Naturally, with Celebrini getting a top-six role right away, his league adjustment and point-producing play allowed him to carry his production from Shattuck's prep squad to the Steel in a heartbeat. He has been amazing all year, and continues to amaze everyone with the special talent he is.

Celebrini will continue on to play college hockey next year with the Boston University Terriers, as BU with Celebrini and Lane Hutson together will likely torch Hockey East next season.

Thanks for reading my thirteenth publication on my Habits Hockey newsletter! Stay around every Friday for new content!