Macklin Celebrini searching for a pass against Maine in the Hockey East Semifinal on March 22. Celebrini has 64 points in 37 games this season. Photo by Rich Gagnon

Varsity Sports

BU Freshman Macklin Celebrini Named a Hobey Baker Award Finalist

As BU prepares for Frozen Four, young squad is led by its celebrated star

The Boston University Dog Pound has been chanting “Mack for Hobey” all season long. Now, the Terriers’ 17-year-old star freshman Macklin Celebrini—the likely No. 1–overall selection at this year’s NHL draft—has been named a Hobey Baker Hat Trick Finalist. And at the same time, his No. 2–ranked team is getting ready for the Frozen Four, which begins April 11, and pursuit of a sixth national championship for BU.

Celebrini (CAS’27) joins Cutter Gauthier (Boston College) and Jackson Blake (North Dakota) as the three finalists for the 44th Hobey Baker Award, college hockey’s top player accolade, which will be announced Friday, April 12, at 6 pm. (The ceremony will be held at the RiverCentre Convention Center in St. Paul, Minn., and will be streamed live via NHL Network and HobeyBaker.com.)

“It means a lot,” Celebrini says. “It’s a special honor to be named a finalist for the award. But then again, right now we’re focused on preparing for next week and hopefully winning a championship. So it’s a cool accomplishment, but not what we’re focused on.”

In college hockey circles, Celebrini was shortlisted for the Hobey Baker Award before he ever stepped onto Boston University’s campus in September. The Vancouver, B.C., native shattered the United States Hockey League’s record for points in a season (86) at age 16, earning the USHL’s Player, Forward, and Rookie of the Year honors.Since joining BU, Celebrini has matched and even exceeded the high expectations affixed to a player destined to be 2024’s top NHL draft pick. The draft is scheduled for June 28 and 29, just weeks after he turns 18. The youngest player in college hockey, Celebrini torched the Hockey East this season. He was named Hockey East Player and Rookie of the Year, the first since Jack Eichel won both awards as a BU freshman in 2015. Eichel won the Hobey Baker Award that year, the last time a Terrier player won the coveted prize. BU has had three Hobey Baker runners-up, including current head coach Jay Pandolfo (CAS’96) back in his playing days, and three winners in its hockey history.

Celebrini is the only player in Hockey East history to average a goal per game in conference play. His 23 goals in 23 league games are a single-season league record for a freshman. He is just the second BU freshman to be a Hobey Hat Trick finalist, joining Eichel, who had a 71-point season in 2015.

“Macklin’s approach to the game, how competitive he is, and how he comes to the rink trying to get better every single day, I think that’s what’s so impressive about him,” says head coach Pandolfo. “He never takes a day off, never takes a practice off, never takes a shift off. The maturity he has as a 17-year-old is pretty damn impressive.”

The landscape of the 2023-2024 college hockey season has been characterized by its youth. The top two teams in the country for several weeks leading into the playoffs, No. 1 Boston College and No. 2 Boston University, also have two of the youngest squads in NCAA hockey. BC freshmen forwards Gabe Perreault, Ryan Leonard, and Will Smith are among the top-six points leaders in the nation, joining national goals leader and BC teammate, sophomore Cutter Gauthier.

Although Boston College has the nation’s leader in points (Smith, 69) and goals (Gauthier, 37), the collective firepower of the Boston College underclassmen has been at times overshadowed by BU’s celebrated freshman. Celebrini’s 32 goals are second behind Gauthier and his 64 points are tied with Gauthier, another 2024 Hobey Baker finalist, for second behind Smith nationally. Celebrini beat out Smith for Hockey East Rookie of the Year and Gauthier for Player of the Year.

“He’s had a really, really special year and it’s been fun watching him and playing with him,” says teammate Lane Hutson (CAS’26), who was named to this year’s top-10 Hobey Baker finalists alongside Celebrini. “Hopefully he wins.”

Now, in addition to the Battle of Commonwealth Avenue rivalry between BC and BU, there’s a new layer of competition—for the nation’s top player award. More exciting still is that both Boston University and Boston College are gearing up to play in the NCAA Frozen Four: BU will face No. 3 Denver at 5 pm on Thursday, April 11, in St. Paul, and the same night BC will face No. 10/11 Michigan at 8:30 pm.

There is no denying that Smith, Gauthier, and the Eagles have gotten the better of Celebrini and the Terriers this season. BC swept the season series on January 26 and 27, winning 4-1 and 4-3. BU got one back, beating BC in the opening round of the 2024 Beanpot on February 5, with Celebrini scoring the opening two goals. But then, in the biggest game of their season, the Eagles captured the Hockey East Championship crown, beating the Terriers handily, 6-2. Smith scored four times to win the Eagles’ first conference title since 2012.

Although Denver and Michigan stand in the way, a fifth matchup between the nation’s top two teams is possible. The national title game will be played on Saturday, April 13, at 6 pm, at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul.

The Hobey Baker Award winner will be announced at the RiverCentre Convention Center in St. Paul, Minn., on Friday, April 12, at 6 pm EST, and it will be streamed live via NHL Network and HobeyBaker.com. Should Macklin Celebrini win, he would be the fourth Terrier to land college hockey’s top individual honor.