Macklin Celebrini and Connor Bedard have a lot in common.
Both are first-overall picks, the San Jose Sharks selecting Celebrini in 2024, the Chicago Blackhawks selecting Bedard in 2023. Both are from North Vancouver. Both grew up playing at local North Shore Winter Club.
And both were at Martin Jones’s day with the Cup.
Jones won the Stanley Cup with the Los Angeles Kings in 2014 and brought the trophy to North Shore Winter Club on Aug. 20 that summer.
San Jose Hockey Now confirmed Celebrini’s attendance at the event, remembered in a photo at NSWC, in February.
Besides that, the then eight-year-old doesn’t remember much about that day.
“Not really,” the San Jose Sharks star laughed. “I was young.”
This is Macklin Celebrini at Martin Jones’s day with the Cup in 2014.
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— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) February 6, 2025
As it turns out, nine-year-old Bedard was also there.
Bedard confirmed his attendance to SJHN on Wednesday, on the eve of his first NHL game against Celebrini, pointing himself out in the day with the Cup picture to the right of Jones and Celebrini.
He’s behind the fist…he thinks:
Like Celebrini, Bedard didn’t remember much about that day, but he’s certain of one thing.
Both kids had the sense to not touch the Cup.
“No way,” Bedard laughed.
Hopefully, that’s an honor reserved for the San Jose Sharks or Chicago Blackhawks one day soon!
