'He's already a pro': Macklin Celebrini turning heads at Canada's world junior camp

Macklin Celebrini arrived as a bit of an unknown.

Sure, his fellow invitees at Canada's selection camp for the 2024 world junior hockey championship had seen the highlights and heard the chatter.

"I know he's good," centre Owen Beck said with a grin after the team's first on-ice session. "I don't know a ton."

"First time I've skated with him," added defenceman Denton Mateychuk.

If there were any doubts, they quickly melted away.

"He doesn't play his age," said goaltender Mathias Rousseau. "Plays a more mature game. More mature even with his size. He's a great player."

Celebrini has been ripping up the NCAA in his first season at Boston University with 10 goals and 25 points in 15 games against opponents sometimes seven or eight years his senior.

The Vancouver native was also named the USHL's player of the year at age 16 in 2022-23 after putting up 46 goals and 86 points in 50 games with the Chicago Steel.

Still, most of the 29 other hopefuls looking to make Canada's roster for the world juniors in Gothenburg, Sweden, had never shared the ice with the six-foot, 190-pound Celebrini until walking into Oakville's Sixteen Mile Sports Complex.

"We've been talking a little bit, having a couple of laughs," said forward Conor Geekie. "You can tell he's a pro already. That's what makes him so special, it's just how he carries himself.

"He's only 17 years old. Excited to see where it goes."

For his part, Celebrini is just trying to fit in ahead of the under-20 showcase that gets going Dec. 26 after missing out on the summer under-18 Hlinka Gretzky Cup with a shoulder injury.

"We have a great group," he said. "It's just selection camp, but hopefully we get going and we build some chemistry. I'm just excited."

Canada head coach Alan