Celebrini selected No. 1 overall by Sharks in 2024 NHL Draft

Lindstrom was the first Medicine Hat player selected in the top 10 since Cam Barker was selected No. 3 overall by the Chicago Blackhawks in 2004.

“I was excited,” Lindstrom said. “All my meetings went well with them. They’re all really good people. I train with a bunch of guys at Columbus and it seems like a lot of things are happening. I’m so happy to be a Columbus Blue Jacket.”

Tij Iginla, a center for Kelowna (WHL) and the son of Hockey Hall of Famer Jarome Iginla, was the first-ever pick by the Utah Hockey Club at No. 6 overall. He was selected ahead of his father, who was selected No. 11 by the Dallas Stars in the 1995 NHL Draft.

“I’ve heard that story (about being drafted higher) a little bit, but I think I have to keep building my resume if I want to compare it to what my dad did in his NHL career,” Iginla said.

A record two Norwegian-born players were picked in the first round: right wing Michael Brandsegg-Nygard from Mora in Sweden’s second division, taken No. 15 to the Detroit Red Wings and defender Stian Solberg from Valerenga in Norway’s top professional men’s league, number 23. to the Anaheim Ducks, who moved up eight spots in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

“This has been a dream for me for so long and now I’ve achieved my dream and I’m just going to keep going and hopefully become an NHL player soon,” Brandsegg-Nygard said.

USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program Under-18 squad had two players selected in the first round: left wing Cole Eiserman (No. 20, New York Islanders) and defenseman Eric Emery (No. 30, New York Rangers).

Eiserman (6-0, 197), committed to Boston University for 2024-25, scored 58 goals in 57 games this season and became the program’s all-time leader with 127 goals in 119 games. Emery (6-3, 183), committed to the University of North Dakota in 2024-25, had 16 assists in 61 games with the NTDP U-18 team this season.

Demidov was the first of four Russian-born players to be selected in the first round when he was drafted No. 5 by the Canadiens. The left-handed striker (6-0, 192) led the St. Petersburg team in the MHL, Russia’s junior league, with 60 points (23 goals, 37 assists) in 30 games.

He was joined by fellow countrymen Anton Silayev (No. 10, New Jersey Devils), a defenseman with Torpedo in the Kontinental Hockey League, center Egor Surin (No. 22, Nashville Predators) of Yaroslavl in the Russian junior league and right winger Matvei Gridin (No. . 28, Calgary Flames) of Muskegon in the United States Hockey League.

New Jersey drafted Silayev with the understanding that his KHL contract with Torpedo runs through 2025-26.

“I have new goals now, and the most important thing is to win the Stanley Cup,” Silayev said through an interpreter.