At the Winter Olympic Games in Milan, Italy, there are superstars and teenage prodigies abound. From figure skating to skiing, teenagers are changing the face of their sports.
When it comes to pure starpower, though, and global reach, there are few in Olympic village who can match 19-year-old Macklin Celebrini.
The San Jose Sharks’ crown jewel, center forward Celebrini, has had a remarkable season in the NHL, making his way onto a stacked Canadian men’s hockey roster looking to recapture hockey gold.
One of the brightest stars in the game with an online fandom that grows by thousands each day, meet the hockey player who could take center stage in Milan.
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Where is he from, and how did he get to the Sharks?
Celebrini was a standout from his amateur days and actually progressed through the United States system, forgoing the traditional path of the Canadian junior circuit.
He went to Boston University with his older brother, Aiden, and was unstoppable against athletes far older than him, scoring 32 goals and 64 points in only 38 games.
In the 2024 NHL Draft, the Sharks had the easiest choice in their franchise history when they picked Celebrini. From day one, he was anointed as the team’s face of the franchise, hoping that one day he could lead the Stanley Cup-less organization to its first championship.
How good was he as a rookie?
He was great, but not otherworldly like some had hoped he would be in his first season.
Celebrini ended the campaign with 63 points in 70 games, good enough to be tied for second in the Calder Trophy race, given to the NHL’s top rookie. American Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson was named the best first-year player.
So how did he make it to Team Canada?
If Celebrini’s first year was above average for a rookie player, then his sophomore season has been in a new galaxy altogether.
Not only has Celebrini been the best second-year player in the NHL, but he has also been one of the best hockey players in the world through the first half of the season.
He has already eclipsed his points total from last campaign with 81 thus far, good enough for fourth overall in the entire NHL. He leads his team with 28 goals and has created a partnership with fellow young star Will Smith, which has become the nucleus of what the Sharks believe can lead them to their first Stanley Cup one day.
While he wasn’t on Team Canada’s radar coming into the season, he forced his way onto the roster by pure skill that couldn’t be denied by any coach selecting the roster.
Now, on the biggest stage of his life, one of the NHL’s best stories in 2026 will look to become a household name in one of the most anticipated international hockey tournaments of all time.