Chronicling the Selections, Hutson, Plante, Morello, Burrows, and More
by Adam Wodon/Managing Editor (@CHN_AdamWodon)
Kamil Bednarik gets a congratulatory phone call from soon-to-be fellow BU forward Cole Eiserman, both of whom were selected by the NY Islanders.
LAS VEGAS The 2024 NHL Draft concluded Saturday at The Sphere in Las Vegas, with rounds 2-7. Following the nine first-round selections of current or incoming NCAA players in Friday’s first round, 48 additional NCAA players were selected Saturday.
Boston University led the way among NCAA teams with six selections, followed by Denver’s five. North Dakota, Minnesota and Michigan State each had four. After having five players selected in the first two rounds last season, Boston College was relatively quiet with three selections. Likewise, Michigan was only represented by three players, all of whom are currently listed as 2025 recruits.
Atlantic Hockey was represented by the selection of Trevor Hoskin, who is committed to Niagara, in the fourth round.
The Colorado Avalanche led the way with five NCAA players selected, which included hometown Denver recruits Jake Fisher and Tory Pitner. Buffalo, Detroit and Chicago each picked four.
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The 39 Americans selected was the fewest since 1997, which speaks more to the increasing number of European players selected more than anything.
High-end non-Americans continue to flock to college hockey, though, which was once again evident this year. In recent years, you’ve had players like Cale Makar going fourth overall, and Adam Fantill third. And Owen Power in 2021 and Macklin Celebrini this year are Canadians who played college hockey who went first overall. It was the fifth NCAA player to go No. 1 overall, and three of them (including Joe Murphy in 1986) have been Canadian.
The USHL continues to shine as not just a feeder of NCAA programs, but an increasingly elite junior league. There were 49 USHL players selected, including 14 from the USA Hockey National Team Development Program (NTDP).
Of the 57 NCAA players selected, only five played in college last season, and only two after the first of them went in the first round — Chase Pietila of Michigan Tech (111th overall) and Patrick Geary of Michigan State (172).
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