Why is Céline Dion in the NHL Draft? Canadian singer makes surprise appearance to announce Ivan Demidov’s selection

There were Canadian stars in attendance at the 2024 NHL Draft, and no, it wasn’t Wayne Gretzky.

Celine Dion, a multiple Grammy Award-winning Quebecer, made a surprise appearance at the draft to announce the Canadiens’ No. 5 pick, ultimately selecting Ivan Demidov for Montreal.

She brought drama to an already exciting night for the NHL in Las Vegas, with fans shocked and using a video of Beckett Sennecke as a reaction to her on-stage performances on social media.

Why was Dion in the building? Sporting News answers that question below.

NHL DRAFT 2024: RESULTS | RATINGS

Why is Céline Dion in the NHL Draft?

Dion shocked the world with his performance at the 2024 NHL Draft, but many people were very happy to see the highly acclaimed singer.

The NHL listed her as a “Montreal Canadiens superfan” in the title of her 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 also met with the team after the game.

She has made several public appearances at ice hockey games in the past and faced the Edmonton Oilers and the Boston Bruins in March 2024.

This is a legendary lineup 🎤 🎶 @CelineDion | #BehindTheB pic.twitter.com/xCqj0pAWRv

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) March 22, 2024

Video about Celine Dion’s NHL draft

Dion announced that the Canadiens selected Russian Ivan Demidov with the number 5 pick. Demidov is considered one of the top talents in this class.

Where does Celine Dion come from?

Dion was born in Charlemagne, Quebec, Canada. Over the course of her career, she has lived in Las Vegas and Florida.

She reportedly now lives in Henderson, Las Vegas.

Scouting report by Ivan Demidov

Bryan Murphy ranked Demidov as his second-best prospect in his final 2024 NHL Draft list. Here’s what the Sporting News expert had to say about the Russian winger.

For the second year in a row, Demidov dominated the junior ranks in Russia, putting up better numbers than Nikita Kucherov did at his age, averaging 2.0 points per game during the regular season.

The winger is a crafty playmaker with a lot of momentum and is a real threat due to his immense skill in one-on-one duels. The biggest criticism of the Russian winger is that he is not the smoothest skater, but Demidov undoubtedly possesses outstanding offensive talent. He is considered a top winger who should give defenses nightmares.