Macklin Celebrini dominates the mid-season rankings of the best North American prospects ahead of the 2024 National Hockey League draft.
The rankings were released Friday by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau.
At the world junior championship, the 17-year-old center led Canada with eight points in five games, recording four goals and four assists.
With Boston University, the North Vancouver hockey player leads the team with 11 goals and 27 points in 16 games, in his first season in the NCAA.
The selection session will take place on June 28 and 29 in Las Vegas.
The rest of the top five North Americans: defenseman Artyom Levshunov of Belarus (Michigan State), center Cayden Lindstrom of Dawson Creek, B.C. (Medicine Hat), defenseman Zeev Buium of San Diego (University of Denver) and left winger Trevor Connelly from Tustin, Calif. (Tri-City, in the USHL).
The highest ranked QMJHL player is Maxim Massé of the Chicoutimi Saguenéens, in 23e place. The Rimouski athlete has collected 15 goals and 36 points this season, in 40 games.
There are four other QMJHL players in the top 50: Raoul Boilard (Drakkar, 34e), Eriks Mateiko (Sea Dogs, 36e), Spencer Gill (Oceanic, 38e) and Tomas Lavoie (Eagles, 50e).
Among North American goalkeepers, in the ranking are Zach Pelletier (Olympics, seventh), Keegan Warren (Wildcats, 10e), Jakub Milota (Eagles, 12e) and Samuel St-Hilaire (Phoenix, 14e).
Internationally, at the top of the respective lists are Finnish center Konsta Helenius and Finnish goalkeeper Kim Saarinen.