Vancouver Canucks fans hoping to have a Celebrini brother among their ranks will have to wait at least one more year.
According to Macklin Celebrini, one of the three brothers, Aiden Celebrini won't be signing with the Canucks and turning pro this summer.
Instead, Aiden will go back to school and play one more year for Boston University in the NCAA, then pursue his pro dreams, Celebrini tells Max Miller of Sharks Hockey Digest.
Aiden Celebrini, 20, still has plenty of runway to develop further before joining the Canucks.
Drafted 171st overall in the sixth round of the 2023 NHL Draft, Celebrini has only had an NHL pedigree for a short time, and even then, he was not nearly as highly regarded as his younger brother, Macklin.
But, that is all to say that, yes, prospects take time, and yes, Aiden is on a positive development path after being drafted as an overager just under two years ago.
Celebrini's box score stats are not flashy. The 6-foot-1 defenceman has a grand total of two goals, 11 assists, and 13 points in his 63 career games for Boston.
“He’s developed really well," Macklin said of his brother. "He’s a defensive defenseman, lockdown, and he’s good at what he does.”
He's also played more than 15 minutes of ice time just four times this season, so, despite the encouraging progress so far, there is still a lot of work to be done for the eldest Celebrini brother.
Macklin also told Miller that he hopes Aiden plays alongside Canucks captain Quinn Hughes one day, and "that would be cool."
When Aiden Celebrini does eventually sign with and join the Canucks organization, he will join a cupboard of defence prospects that includes names such as Elias Pettersson, Victor Mancini, Cole Mcward, Sawyer Mynio, Tom Willander, and Kirill Kudryavtsev, among others.
It is safe to say that the future is looking bright in Vancouver, at least on defence, and the Canucks would certainly love Celebrini to be a part of it.