There was Canadian royalty at the 2024 NHL Draft, and no, it wasn't Wayne Gretzky.
Celine Dion, a multi-time Grammy award winner from Quebec, made a surprise appearance at the draft to announce the Canadiens' No. 5 pick. She ultimately called Ivan Demidov's name for Montreal.
She created a dramatic atmosphere in Las Vegas on an already exciting night for the NHL. Fans were shocked and have used a video of Beckett Sennecke as a social media reaction to seeing the singer on stage.
Why was Dion in the building? The Sporting News answers that below.
2024 NHL DRAFT: RESULTS | GRADES
Why is Celine Dion at the NHL Draft?
Dion shocked the world by appearing at the 2024 NHL Draft, but it was to many people's delight to see the highly acclaimed singer.
The NHL listed her as a "Montreal Canadiens' superfan" on the title of their YouTube video. Dion made her first public appearance at a Canadiens' game in November 2023 after announcing her battle with stiff person syndrome. She and her family met with the team after the game, too.
She's made a handful of public appearances at hockey games in the past, meeting with the Edmonton Oilers and Boston Bruins in March 2024.
Now, THAT'S a legendary lineup read 🎤 🎶 @celinedion | #BehindTheB pic.twitter.com/xCqj0pAWRv
— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) March 22, 2024
Celine Dion NHL Draft video
Dion announced the Canadiens' No. 5 pick, selecting Ivan Demidov out of Russia. Demidov is considered to be one of the top prospects in this class.
Where is Celine Dion from?
Dion was born in Charlemagne, Quebec which is located in Canada. She has lived in Las Vegas and Florida over her career.
She reportedly is living in Henderson, Las Vegas now.
Ivan Demidov scouting report
Bryan Murphy ranked Demidov as his No. 2 prospect in his final 2024 NHL Draft big board. Here's what Sporting News' expert had to say regarding the Russian winger.
For the second consecutive year, Demidov dominated at the junior level in Russia. He put up better numbers than Nikita Kucherov did when he was Demidov's age, averaging 2.0 points per game in the regular season.
A crafty playmaker, the winger carries a high motor and is a pain to play against in one-on-one battles due to his immense skill. The biggest knock on the Russian winger is that he isn't the smoothest of skaters, but Demidov undoubtedly possesses elite offensive talent. He bills out to be a top-line winger that should give defenses nightmares.
