Action photos of Macklin Celebrini, Lane Hutson and Tom Willander

Celebrini, Hutson, Willander Named New England All-Stars

April 3, 2024

BOSTON - Freshman Macklin Celebrini, sophomore Lane Hutson and freshman Tom Willander were all named New England Division I All-Stars by the New England Hockey Writers Assoication, as announced on Wednesday.

In addition to being selected as All-Stars, Celebrini and Hutson took home major awards. Celebrini was selected as the George Carens Rookie of the Year while Hutson repeated as the winner of the Bob Monahan Best Defenseman Award. This is the second straight year that a Terrier has been selected as the region's top rookie, as Hutson received that recognition last year.

A Hobey Baker Award finalist, Celebrini took the college hockey world by storm as a 17-year-old freshman. He became just the fourth player to be named Hockey East Rookie and Player of the Year in the same season after being chosen as the only unanimous Hockey East First Team All-Star. Celebrini enters the Frozen Four ranked second in the NCAA with 32 goals, 64 points and 1.73 points per game. He is just the fourth player since the turn of the century to record 30 goals and 30 assists as a freshman. Celebrini was named Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Sioux Falls Regional after totaling five points (1g, 4a) in two games, including three assists in the regional final against No. 7 Minnesota.

Hutson, also a Hobey Baker finalist, has been the best defenseman in the country this year. He is tied for first among all blue liners with a career-high 49 points, one more than last year's record-setting total. He has scored 15 goals for the second straight season and added a career-high 34 assists in addition to leading the country's defenders in points per game (1.32). Hutson, a two-time Hockey East First Team All-Star, leads all active defensemen with 94 points in just 76 games. He was named to the NCAA Sioux Falls All-Regional Team after scoring a goal in both contests, including the game-winner against Minnesota. Hutson also won gold with the United States at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship in January.

Willander was the only freshman defenseman to be selected as a New England Division I All-Star. He enters the Frozen Four as an impressive plus-30, which is sixth in the country and first among Hockey East defensemen, regardless of class. Willander has scored four goals and added 21 assists for 25 points in 37 games, including three assists in Sioux Falls this past weekend. The Hockey East Second Team All-Star has totaled nine points over his last eight games. Willander also helped host Sweden claim sliver at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship.

Former Terrier standout Bill O'Neill ('79) will also be honored at the New England Hockey Writers Banquet on April 23 when he is presented with the Parker-York Award for Contribution to New England Hockey. O'Neill, a member of the Terriers' 1978 national championship team, spent 42-years leading the Salem State men's ice hockey program. He amassed a 626-436-76 (.583) record during his tenure from 1981-2023, completing his career ranked second all-time in total victories in Division III. 
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