The 2024 NHL Entry Draft took place this past weekend in Paradise, Nevada. It was an entertaining two days, loaded with surprising moves and league-altering decisions. There were also plenty of headlines from an international standpoint!
Macklin Celebrini being selected first overall by the San Jose Sharks was anything but a shock. The Boston University star led Canada’s World Junior team in scoring this past season and then became one of the youngest players to ever make an appearance with senior team, but was cut prior to the World Championship.
Celebrini became the 45th Canadian player to ever be selected at first overall. In total, Canada led the way with 89 players drafted, followed by the United States with 39. Since the inaugural NHL Draft in 1963, no nation has been able to top Canada when it comes to the number of players picked.
The Chicago Blackhawks then made history when they selected Michigan State University defender Artsiom Leushunou at second overall. This made Leushunou the highest drafted Belarusian of all-time, surpassing the previous record held by the late Ruslan Salei, who was drafted by the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim at 9th overall in 1996.
Belarus then had forward Ilya Protas selected by the Washington Capitals at 75th overall, before goaltender Pavel Moysevich became the third and final Belarusian drafted, by the Vegas Golden Knights with pick 83. This comes one year after Belarus had a record five players drafted in 2023. The nation has also now extended their streak of having at least one player drafted every year since 2016.
More history was made later in the first round, as Norwegian National Team forward Michael Brandsegg-Nygård became the first ever player from Norway selected in the first round of the draft, when the Detroit Red Wings drafted him at 15th overall. Shortly later, the Anaheim Ducks drafted Brandsegg-Nygård‘s international counterpart in defender Stian Solberg with the 23rd overall selection.
Defender Ludvig Lafton was drafted 190th overall (Utah Hockey Club) and forward Noah Steen at 199th overall (Tampa Bay Lightning) to give Norway a record of four players selected in a single NHL Draft.
Switzerland had themselves an impressive draft, with four different players being drafted. EV Zug defender Leon Muggli led the way by being selected with pick 52 by the Washington Capitals. Christian Kirsch became the first Swiss goaltender drafted since Akira Schmid in 2018, with the San Jose Sharks taking him at pick 116.
After having zero players drafted in 2023, three Latvians had their names called in this year’s draft. The Washington Capitals drafted forward Ēriks Mateiko at 90th overall, before goaltender Mikus Vecvanags went to the Montréal Canadiens at 134th, and the Anaheim Ducks took a chance on defender Darels Uļjanskis with pick 214.
Utah Hockey Club drafted defender Gregor Biber at 98th overall, as Austria now has a streak of layers being drafted in three consecutive years. Forward Vasili Zelenov — who was born is Moskva but carries an Austrian passport — was selected by the Buffalo Sabres with the 204th overall pick
GREGOR BIBER HIGHLIGHT: https://www.instagram.com/hockey.worldwide/reel/C0wYZoMAI-b
Slovakia’s drafted players streak was extended to eight years when the Washington Capitals used their 212th overall pick on forward Miroslav Šatan Jr., the son of Slovak Men’s National Team general manager Miroslav Šatan.
Olympiques de Gatineau defender Jan Goličič was drafted at 118th overall by the Tampa Bay Lightning — making him the first Slovenian drafted since Jan Drozg in 2017.
Another significant selection was when Kevin He was picked by the Winnipeg Jets at 109th overall. The forward was born in Beijing and is now the highest drafted Chinese-born player of all-time, although he has not represented them internationally. Kamloops Blazers defender Harrison Brunicke, who was selected by the Pittsburgh Penguins with the 44th overall pick, then became the second ever South African-born player drafted into the NHL. Similarly to Olaf Kölzig, the first South African drafted in 1989, Brunicke does not play for their national team.
Total Players Drafted By Nationality
Canada – 89
United States – 39
Russia – 26
Sweden – 22
Finland – 18
Czechia – 13
Norway – 4
Switzerland – 4
Belarus – 3
Latvia – 3
Austria – 2
Slovakia – 1
Slovenia – 1
Source: https://www.eliteprospects.com/draft/nhl-entry-draft/2024