Feature photo: IG /  @nhl

Macklin Celebrini is hoping his first experience at the IIHF Ice Hockey World Hockey Championship is golden.

When he received the call to represent his country and play with and against some of the world’s top NHL talent, the San Jose Sharks rookie didn’t hesitate to accept the invitation for the tournament that runs May 9-25 with games taking place in Stockholm, Sweden, and Herning, Denmark.

The 18-year-old was one of the first 15 players named to the Canadian entry, which also included players like Bo Horvat, Ryan O’Reilly and Adam Fantilli.

“Every time I get a chance to play for Canada it’s hard to say no,” Celebrini, the first overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, told NHLPA.com. “It’s an amazing opportunity.” 

One that is even more special considering he will now be playing alongside one of his hockey idols in Sidney Crosby.

Outside of Crosby’s outstanding NHL resume, which includes three Stanley Cups and three Ted Lindsay Awards, the Penguins captains also has an outstanding international record with two Olympic gold medals, a 2016 World Cup of Hockey championship, a world juniors gold and mostly recently took gold at the 4 Nations Face-Off.

The native of Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia has been effusive in his praise of Celebrini, who suited up for his country at the 2024 world juniors and registered eight points (four goals, four assists) in five games.

“It’s a dream come true,” said Celebrini. “He was an idol of mine growing up and to get the opportunity to play with him is surreal.”

Celebrini will line up against a few familiar faces in San Jose teammates Alex Wennberg with Team Sweden and Will Smith, who will make in his second straight world championships appearance with Team USA.

The fourth overall pick of the Sharks in 2023, Smith, who won gold with the United States at last year’s world juniors, has teamed with Celebrini to give San Jose one of the game’s most dynamic young duos.

Playing against Smith, who has become a close friend, will be somewhat strange, admitted Celebrini.

“It’ll be a little different given we’re teammates during the year, but it’ll be fun,” said the North Vancouver native. “Getting to compete against Will and see how he does will be cool.” 

The pair turned heads throughout the 2024-25 NHL regular season, the first full NHL season for both.

Celebrini, the 2024 Hobey Baker Award winner as top player at the U.S. collegiate level, led the Sharks with 63 points in 70 games, finishing tied for second in overall scoring among rookies and second in goals with 25.

Smith, who played against Celebrini in college as a member of the Boston College Eagles, was equally impactful. He finished the year with 18 goals – five of those tallies came on the power play – to go along with 27 assists for 45 points in 74 games.  

“He’s a great guy to be around and always finds a way to keep things light,” said Celebrini of Smith. “But at the same time, he knows when it’s time to compete and wants to win more than anyone.”

Just like Celebrini, who was recently named as a finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy as the league’s top rookie alongside Lane Hutson [Montreal Canadiens] and Dustin Wolf [Calgary Flames].

He is hoping to add to Canada’s gold medal count at the world championships – the nation has won 28 times, the most of any other country to compete in the tournament. Their last victory came in 2023.

“This tournament is a great chance for me to compete in some meaningful games and hopefully, we can win a medal for Canada.”

In the pre-tournament finale, Celebrini netted a goal along with three assists in a 6-0 victory for Canada over Hungary.

The puck drops on the 2025 IIHF Ice Hockey World Hockey Championship on May 9, featuring a slate of four games. Canada’s first matchup is against Slovenia on May 10.

DENVER – The University of Denver hockey program will celebrate its 75th Anniversary one last time on Saturday, May 31 as it wraps up the 2024-25 campaign with its 68th annual awards banquet on the floor of Magness Arena.
 
The celebration begins at 6 p.m. MT. Click here to register now and get tickets. Registration ends May 21.
 
The 2024-25 Hockey Awards Banquet caps off a season that saw the Pioneers win 30 games for the fourth consecutive season, extending their program-record streak, and reach the NCAA Frozen Four for the second straight year and the third time in the last four seasons. Dating back to 2016, DU has reached college hockey’s championship weekend six times in the last nine full seasons.
 
Beverages and heavy hors d’oeuvres will be served throughout the evening, which also features a silent auction, autographed hockey sticks for kids and DU players and coaches in attendance.
 
The Pioneers will also recognize their senior class and announce this year’s recipients of their team awards: Dr. Ken Bredesen Most Sportsmanlike Player, Dr. Art Mason Top Scholar-Athlete, Dr. Ralph Verploeg Most Inspirational Player Award, Barry Sharp Freshman of the Year Award, Bob Martin Community Service Award, Murray Armstrong Most Improved Player Award, Dallas Gaume Offensive Player Award, Keith Magnuson Best Defensive Player Award, Bill Masterton MVP Award and Daniel Ritchie Spirit Award.
 
Among the speakers will be Richard and Kitzia Goodman Head Hockey Coach David Carle and Denver’s 2024-25 senior class that features Connor Caponi, Matt Davis, Jack Devine and captain Carter King. The class is winningest group in program history with 124 victories in 169 games and a .749 winning percentage in its four years (124-39-5). Each member will talk about their time at DU, which included winning two national titles, reaching three Frozen Fours, winning two NCHC Penrose Cups as regular-season championships, the 2024 NCHC Frozen Faceoff conference tournament title and four Gold Pan trophies over rival Colorado College.

Luke Antonacci has become the fourth University of Maine defenseman to enter the NCAA Division I transfer portal.

Antonacci, who will be a senior in the fall, played in 30 games this past season and had two goals and two assists. He was plus-10 in plus-minus.

Players are awarded a plus one if they are on the ice when their team scores an even-strength or shorthanded goal and a minus-one if the opponent scores one.

Antonacci struggled in the middle of the season and was a healthy scratch for five games in January before returning to the lineup and playing well over the final 13 contests. He scored a pivotal third period goal in the Hockey East semifinal this past season, forcing overtime in a game that the Black Bears won on their way to UMaine’s first Hockey East championship in over 20 years.

During his career at UMaine, the Princeton, N.J. native tallied five goals and 16 assists in 103 games according to Hockey East statistics. He was a plus-28. His 103 games would have been most among the returning defenseman, one more than Brandon Chabrier.

The other three defensemen who went into the transfer portal were sophomores Liam Lesakowski and Jack Dalton and freshman Brian Morse. Dalton had five assists in 21 games this past season for the Black Bears. Lesakowski didn’t have any points in 24 and Morse never played.

Lesakowski transferred to Sacred Heart in Connecticut, Dalton will play for Bentley in Massachusetts and Morse is going to Ferris State in Michigan.

UMaine has also lost senior defenseman and co-captain David Breazeale, who graduated and signed a free agent deal with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League.

The Black Bears do return five defensemen and four have played in at least 73 career games.

The other,  sophomore Bodie Nobes, became a regular midway through the season and finished with a goal and four assists in 21 games. He has played in 40 career games at UMaine and scored his first career goal in UMaine’s 5-1 loss to Penn State in the NCAA tournament regional in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

Chabrier, who will be a senior and has played in 102 career games, had 10 assists in 37 games for the 24-8-6 Black Bears.

All Hockey East third team defenseman Brandon Holt had four goals and 16 assists in 34 games and has played 91 career games. He was the runner-up for the league’s best defensive defenseman award behind Boston College’s Eamon Powell.

Holt will also be a senior as will Grayson Arnott, who has played in 79 career games and had two goals in 20 games this past season.

Frank Djurasevic, who will be a junior, was UMaine’s top scorer among defensemen with 28 points on seven goals and 21 assists in 38 games. The Merrimack College transfer has 73 career games under his belt.

The Black Bears will also have three point-producing defensemen joining the team in former Arizona Coyotes third round draft pick  Jeremy Langlois; Loic Usereau and Lukas Peterson.

Langlois was sidelined this past season due to injury but he had 17 goals and 45 assists in 61 games for Rouyn-Noranda in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League two seasons ago; Usereau had 11 goals and 35 assists in 62 games for Chicoutimi in the same league this past season and Peterson notched seven goals and 36 assists in 60 games for the Green Bay Gamblers in the United States Junior Hockey League.

Most students at Randolph-Macon walk the campus grounds every day without realizing that their campus has changed drastically over the last hundred years. While Old Campus still remains intact, facilities such as the science building, fraternity row, and the athletic fields have changed locations so drastically that the RMC class of 1925 would think they are at a different college. For instance, the tennis courts were once located to the right of Thomas Branch Hall and fraternity row was once behind the current Kappa Alpha Order house. But, these are all topics for a future article. One of the most historically significant and interesting buildings that has been razed from not only the campus but the minds of current students is the “Old Gym.”

Built in 1882, the gym was the oldest building in the South built specifically for the purpose of general athletics. It was located between the current sites of the Peele Administration Building and the Frank E. Brown Fountain Plaza. It was a relatively small building that featured a large room with athletic equipment on the walls and hanging from the ceiling. As the years progressed, the outside walls and roof took on another purpose: a bulletin board. Students would paint winning game scores, slogans, or protests on the outside of the gym, dating back to the early 1900s.

The gym stood for a total of 92 years on the RMC campus. It had been replaced as the college’s main athletic facility when Alumni Gym was built in 1927. In the 47 years that followed, the building took on a number of different uses, such as an art gallery and event space. The Old Gym was an ancient building by the 1970s and, unfortunately, it was deemed too old and unimportant. For years prior to its eventual demolition, administration pushed for the building to be razed, but each time it was saved by a passionate student and alumni body who despised the idea of their landmark being erased. The arrival of a new president, Luther W. White III, brought change and a radical new building spree that consisted of both new construction and the demolition of several old buildings. These consisted of, for example, the old fraternity row, Pettyjohn Science Hall, and, after 92 years, the Old Gym. The 1975 Yellow-Jacket Yearbook summarized the new construction in contrast with the demolition of the old gym in this article by Karen L. Hines:

“It is easy to note the physical changes on campus this year. Fall 1974 marked the opening of the

Frank E. Brown Campus Center, a building to be used as a combination of CX, book store, post office, art gallery, meeting and lecture room, student government offices, publications and photography headquarters, and all around lounging area. Undoubtedly the new student union has provided a centralized building for student activities. The new modern building was seen in startling contrast to the character of the Old Gym. Separated by the fountain plaza, the two buildings faced each other with silent antipathy, reflecting the change in the concept of architectural beauty through Randolph- Macon history. The R-MC community was not favored with this contrast for long. The Old Gym was displaced. Removed from the campus, torn down, the destruction of the Old Gym marked the victory of practicality over sentiment and historical value. Christmas break provided a proper time for the demolition, and the Old Gym was allowed to fall with quiet dignity, unseen by the gaping students. The campus has taken on a new physical personality.”

The destruction of this campus landmark combined with a number of other factors left many RMC students feeling rather unsettled about the future of their college.

“It appears that everything is winding down at R-MC. One landmark was torn down, another was threatened. The college is limiting itself academically through the faculty cutback. There is no guarantee that the faculty will not again be decreased. Students tend toward being more apathetic in campus life. Randolph- Macon’s strong points, a warm student body, a campus with a personality and physical beauty, and high academic standards, are verging on disappearance. Is this “progress,” or are we losing our identity?”

Looking back in 2025, we now know that Randolph-Macon has blossomed academically, in size, and in architectural beauty. However, one of the sentiments that Ms. Hines voiced in 1974 still rings true: forward progress comes at a cost. While modern yellow jackets walk a formidable campus, they are unaware of the plaque next to the fountain that marks the Old Gym’s location. It has slipped into the pages of time, forgotten.

Shedeur Sanders was eventually drafted by the Cleveland Browns and there has been plenty of focus on the young quarterback’s life away from the gridiron, including his earnings and love life

Shedeur Sanders celebrated being drafted by the Cleveland Browns and has received plenty of attention about his NFL prospects.

The former Colorado Buffaloes star had been tipped by many to be a first-round pick, but he was selected by the Browns in the fifth round at No. 144 overall. And he now faces a battle for his spot on the Cleveland roster as the franchise also drafted Dillon Gabriel in the third round and has more experienced signal-callers Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett too.

It means that Sanders, son of NFL icon Deion, will have to prove his worth in the Browns’ upcoming preseason games. However, the 23-year-old is already accustomed to the spotlight, and here’s a closer look at his life away from the gridiron.

What is Shedeur Sanders’ net worth?

Celebrity Net Worth lists Sanders’ wealth at $4 million. While Sanders is yet to sign his first professional contract with the Browns, the young quarterback is still reported to be worth seven figures through his Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deals .

It has been claimed by On3 Sports that Sanders’ endorsements total $6.5M. His portfolio includes deals with Beats by Dre, Google, Mercedes-Benz, and Tom Brady’s BRADY brand. Sanders was also the first college football star to sign an NIL contract with Nike.

On3 Sports lists Sanders as the second-highest-earning NIL athlete, and he remarkably stands to earn less from his potential NFL contract after being selected in the fifth round. Salary projections suggest that as the No. 144 overall draft pick, Sanders will earn around $4.6M over four years.

Has Shedeur Sanders got a girlfriend?

Sanders is not known to be in a relationship, but has been romantically linked with several people in recent years. In early 2023, it was suggested that he was dating actress Storm Reid after accompanying her on the red carpet for the premiere of Reid’s film, Missing.

When asked about Sanders, Reid told Entertainment Tonight: “He’s super sweet, super talented. I’m just glad to have him here supporting me.” The actress attended games during Sanders’ time with the Jackson State Tigers, but it was rumored that their relationship ended at some point in 2023.

The following year, his social media interactions with influencer Jasmine Rae led to fan theories that the pair were dating. The creative director of activewear brand Lova Active boasts more than 800k Instagram followers.

Sanders held a party to celebrate being drafted by the Browns at Hyde & Seek in Dallas. During the festivities, he was seen sitting next to Jamaican singer Shenseea, who is five years older than the quarterback.

Although there was no suggestion that the two are romantically involved, fans began to speculate about a possible relationship, and Shenseea was not the only party guest to be linked to Sanders.

Rapper Yung Miami also attended and performed at the event, posing in pictures with Sanders at the party. However, the rapper shut down rumors they were dating in a social media post.

When the topic of relationships was brought up on Sanders’ 2Legendary podcast, he gave a coy response. After being asked if he had a special woman in his life, Sanders replied: “Yes, I have my mom.”

I wasn’t supposed to be at the University of Massachusetts Amherst for all four years. I was going to transfer to Boston University after a year.

I came into UMass thinking I would do just one year before taking my guaranteed transfer offer with BU. This all changed for me when I stepped into the Massachusetts Daily Collegian office in the Student Union.

My one dream going into college was to cover college hockey, which I thought was impossible as a freshman going to a school that was coming off of a National Championship.

After going up to the then-Sports Editor Lulu Kesin and volunteering to be on the field hockey beat and having a lengthy conversation with Colin McCarthy about college hockey, the dream didn’t seem so impossible.

At the first field hockey game I covered, Lulu offered me a spot on the hockey beat alongside Colin and Sophie Weller. While she gave me a few days to think about it, I knew right then and there that I was going to take it.

Over that season I would have new experiences, interviewing top college players and head coaches. I also found new mentors in Colin and Sophie who I still credit for my love and passion for journalism.

One of the people I credit the most for how I conduct myself in press conferences is head coach Greg Carvel. He’s one of the only head coaches I know that has made it a point to challenge student media to be better and push us to ask the best questions.

Hockey Sports Information Director Jillian Jakuba has also been such a large part of my time with the Daily Collegian. Always willing to give the hockey beat media when we need it and supporting us, she’s one of the people I will miss the most.

While covering events like the Hockey East Championship, the NCAA Tournament and going to places like Belfast, Northern Ireland will be some of my fondest memories, the relationships I built will be some of the biggest things I’ll take away from the Daily Collegian.

Walking into the press box and seeing Colin, Sophie, Sydney Ciano, Matt Skillings, Scottie Marro, Caroline Burge, Devin Lippman and Mike Maynard every week was always fun. Win or lose, I knew that after the game, there would not be a dull moment.

Sitting with them shaped my writing and made me a better journalist in my four years. I know that no matter where I go in the world, I have lifelong friends in all of them.

Sitting in the cold Earl Lorden Field stands with Mike and Owen Shelffo or sitting in the heat at Gladchuk Field Complex with Lucy Postera will also be some of my fondest memories.

A majority of my time at UMass was spent in the Daily Collegian office behind the Student Union stairs. Through that, I built friendships with people from other sections and built stronger relationships with the people in the sports section.

Johnny Depin is someone I know I’ll always be friends with, with our friendship dating back to freshman year. Our handshake and trips to the dining hall won’t be forgotten.

I don’t know where my sports career will take me, but no matter what, the Daily Collegian will always be a part of me.

Four years, over 160 stories, six features, four NCAA Tournaments and 18 hockey rinks later (19 if you count Fenway Park), I’m prepared for a career in sports.

While there have been times where I think about what would have happened if I did leave UMass, I know I made the right choice. As my favorite Formula 1 driver Daniel Ricciardo once said, “No regrets. Only memories.”

Kayla Gregoire was an Assistant Sports Editor. She can be reached at [email protected].