Family matters: Which 2024 draft prospects have relatives with NHL ties?
The 2024 NHL draft will take place on June 28 (7 p.m. ET, ESPN/ESPN+) and June 29 (11:30 a.m. ET, ESPN+) at the Sphere in Las Vegas. As usual, fans of teams at the top of the draft order are excited about the next great prospect their club will add.
Also, many of the top prospects available have last names that sound somewhat familiar.
Here’s a rundown of some of the more prominent players in this year’s draft class who have family ties in the NHL, including a handful who could go early in Round 1.
Macklin Celebrini
F, Boston University
Celebrini is the consensus No. 1 prospect available, with many mock drafts, including one from ESPN’s Rachel Doerrie, projecting him in that spot to the San Jose Sharks. Celebrini’s brother, Aiden Celebrini, was a sixth-round pick by the Vancouver Canucks (No. 171 overall) in 2023 and his father is the current vice president of player health and performance for the NBA’s Golden State Warriors.
Zeev Buium
D, University of Denver
Buium’s older brother, Shai Buium, was a second-round pick of the Detroit Red Wings in 2021 (No. 36 overall), and the two siblings won the NCAA championship with Denver during the 2023-24 season.
Adam Jiricek
D, HC Plzen
A likely first-rounder, Jiricek is following in the skate strides of older brother David Jiricek, who was selected No. 6 overall in 2022 by the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Berkly Catton
F, Spokane Chiefs
Remember Cory Sarich? He was a 1996 second-round pick (No. 27 overall) by the Buffalo Sabres, played more than 900 NHL games and won the Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2024. Berkly Catton remembers Sarich quite well. He is a second cousin.
Tij Iginla
F, Kelowna Rockets
One of the easier familial connections to make this list, Tij is the son of Jarome Iginla, a Hockey Hall of Famer who played 20 seasons in the NHL and holds the Calgary Flames‘ franchise records for career goals and points.
Cole Eiserman
F, USNTDP
When Cole hears his name in the draft, he’ll be the second Eiserman to do so, as older brother Shane was a fourth-round pick of the Ottawa Senators (No. 100, 2014).
Ryder Ritchie
F, Prince Albert Raiders
Ritchie’s father, Byron Ritchie, was a seventh-round pick (No. 165) by the Hartford Whalers in 1995 and played in more than 300 NHL games with the Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, Flames and Canucks.
Jacob Oster
G, Oshawa Generals
Though the last name might not lead you to this conclusion, Oster is a second cousin of Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk and Senators forward Brady Tkachuk.
Aatos Koivu
F, TPS
Aatos Koivu has two famous relatives who had lengthy NHL careers. His father, Saku Koivu, was a first-round pick (No. 21) by the Montreal Canadiens in 1993, who played 1,124 NHL games with the Habs and Anaheim Ducks. Aatos’ uncle, Mikko Koivu, was also a first-round pick (sixth overall in 2001 by the Minnesota Wild) and played 1,035 NHL games, split between the Wild and Blue Jackets.
Max Plante
F, USNTDP
Max is the son of Derek Plante, an eighth-round selection (No. 161, 1989) by the Buffalo Sabres, who played 450 NHL games, including a stint where he won the Stanley Cup with the Dallas Stars in 1999. The elder Plante is an assistant coach with the Chicago Blackhawks.
Lukas Fischer
D, Sarnia Sting
This last name should be familiar to Red Wings fans, as Lukas’ father, Jiri Fischer, was a first-round pick (No. 25, 1998) of the Wings and won the Cup with them in 2002.
Carson Wetsch
F, Calgary Hitmen
The longest currently-serving member of the Edmonton Oilers, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, is Wetsch’s cousin.
Miroslav Satan Jr.
F, HC Slovan Bratislava
Satan’s father skated 1,050 NHL games, including stints with the Oilers, Sabres, New York Islanders, Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins.
Cole Hutson
D, USNTDP
Hutson’s brother, Lane Hutson, was a 2022 second-round pick (No. 62) by the Canadiens. After helping the U.S. win gold at the IIHF world junior championships, the older Hutson made his NHL debut near the end of the 2023-24 season.
William Samuelsson
F, Sodertalje
Mikael Samuelsson, William’s father, played 699 NHL games, in a career that saw him skate for the Sharks, New York Rangers, Penguins, Panthers, Red Wings and Canucks. He’s currently a development coach with Vancouver.
Noah Lapointe
D, USNTDP
Currently the director of player personnel and director of amateur scouting for the Canadiens, Martin Lapointe, Noah’s father, played in over 900 career NHL games.
