Macklin Celebrini was seven years old the last time NHLers participated in the Olympics. Now, he’s playing a crucial role in the team’s search for gold.

It’s been a quick journey to the top for Celebrini, who, just over two years ago, was just trying to help Canada avoid an early exit at the World Juniors at the hands of the Czechs. They came short – so it was fitting, in a way, to see the San Jose Sharks superstar score his first Olympic goal against Czechia on Thursday in a dominant 5-0 victory.

It became clear early on this season that the Vancouver, B.C. native couldn’t be contained. After losing the Calder Trophy to Lane Hutson last season, Celebrini quickly shot up towards the top of the NHL scoring race in the first half of 2025-26. He had 63 points as a rookie – he’s already at 81 points through 55 games this season, which puts him on pace for 121. By all accounts, it’s one of the best sophomore campaigns of the salary cap era.

So it was a no-brainer for Canada to take Celebrini and place him in the top six right away. After playing alongside Sidney Crosby at the 2025 World Championship, he lined up with Connor McDavid and Tom Wilson on the top line in the Olympic opener. Celebrini scored the game-winning goal with five seconds to go in the opening period.

By now, the whole hockey world knows him by now. He’s a human highlight reel. When the Sharks took him first overall in 2024, scouts lauded him for his incredible hockey sense and his ability to beat players with high-end moves based on his play reads, more than just pure skill. He was compared to one of the greatest to ever do it in Crosby for his ability to dominate every shift not just with his pure skill, but his brain.

“We can’t believe he’s 19,” Czechia’s Radko Gudas said after Thursday’s game. “It’s great for Canada to have a guy like that playing for the national team right away. He’s the leading scorer by far in his club for a reason. It’s great to watch him.”

Having a player with Celebrini’s size, skill and hockey sense on any line is a nightmare. Paired with McDavid, you have the best player in the world finding the best 19-year-old on the planet. Pairing them with the absolute killing machine of Tom Wilson also opens up more doors for Celebrini to focus on the puck game, something he does so much better than anyone else.

Celebrini has built a reputation for making everything look so, so easy. He was outstanding as an underager at the U-18 World Championship, registering 15 points in seven games. That same season, he put up one of the greatest seasons by a draft-1 prospect in USHL history, scoring 46 goals and 86 points in 50 games with the Chicago Steel. Then, he was Canada’s best player at the World Juniors and the best player in all of college hockey.

Heck, he’s still young enough to have played for Canada at the most recent World Juniors. What Celebrini is doing at a young age – on a team most expected to make the playoffs – is absurd.

We’re not talking about just one game here. We’re talking about a player averaging 2.97 points per 60 at 5-on-5. He’s scoring at a rate of 1.13 goals per 60. He’s a legit candidate for the Hart Trophy, dragging his teams from infernal refuge to the confines of the playoff race. This team should still be rebuilding. But Celebrini is doing everything in his power to make them an absolute weapon of mass destruction (on the scoresheet). The Sharks are a flawed team, but Celebrini gives them a chance to succeed every time he hits the ice.

At this rate, it’s not out of the question that he becomes one of the best forwards of his generation. But, of course, he’s only 19. It’s probably a bit premature. But his journey to stardom has only just begun. And it’s clear he’s special.

Canada is a deep team with big ambitions in Italy. They probably don’t need Macklin Celebrini. But they have him, and he’s damn good. The Olympics are about showcasing the game’s biggest stars. And Celebrini is absolutely one of the best in the world right now.

PRESENTED BY DAILY FACEOFF’S OLYMPIC COVERAGE

Catch Every Goal from the 2026 Milan Games! The 2026 Milan Games are almost here, and the world’s best men’s and women’s hockey players are ready to battle for gold! The Nation Network is bringing you every game, every jaw-dropping save, and all the drama with live reaction streams and full recaps. Don’t miss a moment of Olympic hockey action—men’s, women’s, and everything in between—on the Daily Faceoff YouTube channel. Subscribe now and stay on top of every play!