Media Availability (10/8): Celebrini

Media Availability (10/8): Celebrini

It’s a huge honor um to know that they trust me to kind of be one of the leaders of the team and um wear a letter on my jersey. It it means a lot. How did how did you find out? How did guys find out what the group was? Uh I mean I talked to uh Rosski and my career um the last week or so. So, um yeah, I mean we’ve kind of talked it through and then we had a couple meetings with the leadership group and um kind of let everyone know. So, uh did the team have like one of the meetings before practice? I want to just kind of announce to the group that maybe we’re what does it mean to you? I mean, you’re wearing the the home the sharks color teal is is pretty iconic. Yeah, it’s only at the home, but to represent a leader in that jersey, how cool is that to is something that you expected maybe this early on in your career? Um I mean, I don’t think I really, if you asked me two years ago, I don’t think I’d say I would be in this situation, but um I mean, it feels good that that they have that that faith in me and um they they trust me to kind of lead by example. Your relationship with with Tyler is is is known and his relationship with the entire team. He gets to wear the letter ever. What’s that say about him and and just his leadership style and what he provides to the group and why he has it every game? I think he just uh I mean the way he I mean the teams we’ve been on um the way he everyone loves him in this locker room, the way he’s uh he’s taken care of us young guys and um I think he’s just a guy that everyone looks to. He uh I mean he was part of our group last year and um I mean just the person and and uh the ro role model off the ice that he is and also on the ice um the way he plays I think and his message the the things he says in the locker room. um between periods and after before games. I think he’s just always straight up honest and um I think he’s the guy that that we all look to. Were you surprised that there was no captain in? I don’t I don’t think I was surprised. I think it was just I mean, yeah, I don’t think I was surprised enough. How much do your responsibilities change now having a letter on your sweater? Um I don’t really think I will change anything I do. Um That’s that’s kind of not that’s not why they they gave it to me to kind of change who I am or or what I do. I think it just um kind of approach every day the same and um play and and be be the person I am. October’s been tough for the Sharks last couple years. What’s the message been like to get off to a better start this season? I mean, it’s been right from training camp. I think uh we uh we want to get off to a good start here and um I think the message in our room has just been um looking forward not looking back at the last couple years cuz we have a completely new team, completely new guys set of guys. So I don’t think we’re looking to past years. I think we’re just looking to to tomorrow and then um just worry about that game and then um yeah, we’ll see where we go from there. How have you felt yourself grow as maybe a vocal leader? We know your effort and work ethic on these, but maybe in the room, how have you felt yourself grow as a vocal leader? Um, I think it’s just being more comfortable. I think just talking to um the more the more time you spend around some place, the more comfortable you feel, the you build a relationship with all the guys. And um I think that comes with anyone, anyone who who spends enough time in one place. I think like it just it’s a comfort level and you just feel more comfortable talking to guys and um with whatever that may be a war um pew. I was a captain on my peewee team. Yeah, the last time. How do you how do you uh how do you express your leadership? Like what’s what makes a good leader in your opinion? Um, I think it’s just I think it’s someone who uh who’s always just sets sets the example um leads the right way. I think um doing like your actions have more say than your words. Like I think what you do speaks volumes and the best leaders I’ve been around have done that. Um they don’t say one thing and then do the other. I think whatever they uh whatever they do then comes towards and and kind of gets the group going. But I think it’s just but also having the right timing and when to say something, when to when to get mad at guys or um that’s some of the guys that I’ve been with like they uh if you if you know like the right time to to get on a guy or the right time to kind of pick up a guy, I think th those those leaders that that kind of are the best, they they know the the right time to do both those things. Is that something that you’re going to kind of watch more now than watch the other leaders, the veteran leaders here and how they do that? You know, when they pick up a guy or one day kind of kick him in the rear a little bit, just the timing of things. Yeah. I mean, yeah. Yeah. Is there is there someone a captain maybe that you’ve watched, you know, you’re a big fan of Crosby, but is there somebody that you’ve maybe experienced with, had conversations with it just about how they’ve taken on that leadership role, whe at any point in your life, it doesn’t matter where. I don’t think so. I don’t think so. Um, I mean, I’ve watched a lot of Sid obviously growing up and um, I mean, Jonathan Ta, he was one of my favorite players growing up as well. And, um, like they they were both so successful in that era. And, um, they were they led their teams to to victories in different ways. And I think uh, yeah, I think both those guys were guys that I kind of looked up to. You said that though you talked with Mike Greer and Ryan Warski about this. Just what was sort of the their message to you about this about taking on this responsibility? Um, I think it’s just the same. Don’t change anything. Like I think I’m not going to change who I am or or what I do. I think it’s just um yeah, just continue being myself.

Macklin Celebrini speaks with the media following the Sharks practice on October 8, 2025.