Macklin Celebrini just keeps making history. The San Jose Sharks phenom tipped home a Cale Makar blast from the blue line with five seconds remaining in the first period, giving Canada a 1-0 lead over Czechia in their Olympic opener at the Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena. <\/p>\n
The goal made Celebrini the youngest Canadian NHLer to score at the Olympics, adding another line to an already remarkable resume. The timing could not have been better. Czechia had kept Canada’s star-studded lineup off the board through nearly 20 minutes, with Luk\u00e1\u0161 Dost\u00e1l turning aside chance after chance. <\/p>\n
Then Makar wound up from the point, and Celebrini got just enough of his stick on the puck to redirect it past the Anaheim netminder. It was a gut punch for the Czechs heading into the intermission.<\/p>\n
Historic Selection, Historic Goal<\/p>\n
When Celebrini was named to Canada’s Olympic roster<\/a> on December 31, he became the youngest NHL player ever selected<\/a> to the Canadian men’s team for an Olympics featuring league participation. Now he has matched that distinction with his play on the ice.<\/p>\n The 19-year-old entered the tournament fourth in NHL scoring with 81 points in 55 games<\/a>, trailing only Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon and Nikita Kucherov. His sophomore campaign has drawn comparisons to Sidney Crosby’s age-19 season, when the Pittsburgh captain posted 120 points in 2006-07.<\/p>\n Head coach Jon Cooper made clear before the tournament that Celebrini had earned his spot on the top line alongside McDavid and Tyler Wilson. <\/p>\n “He may be, what, 19 years old, his physical body is, but his acumen for the game is not,” Cooper said<\/a>. “He’s wise beyond his years. So I can’t sit here and look at him as this kid.”<\/p>\n McDavid’s Endorsement<\/p>\n Even McDavid, arguably the greatest player in the world, has been impressed by what he has seen from his young linemate. <\/p>\n “I’ve only been around him a little bit, but even just that little bit of being around him, I can tell how much he puts into it, how hard he works, how much he cares about it,” McDavid said<\/a>. “It’s been impressive to see. He’s such a young guy, but to make this team, and not only to make this team, but he’s going to be asked to play a big role, that’s incredible.”<\/p>\n First Olympic point for 9\ufe0f\u20e37\ufe0f\u20e3\ud83c\udde8\ud83c\udde6#MilanoCortina2026<\/a> | #LetsGoOilers<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/YC3TjctFyH<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) February 12, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Celebrini delivered on that role in the biggest moment of the opening period, redirecting Makar’s shot with the skill and poise of a veteran.<\/p>\n Canada carried their 1-0 lead into the second period, looking to build on Celebrini’s historic tally<\/a>. The Czechs face an uphill battle against a Canadian squad that boasts three of the NHL’s top four scorers, but Dost\u00e1l’s 19-save first period showed they will not go quietly.<\/p>\n