{"id":623830,"date":"2026-07-16T09:51:29","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T09:51:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/623830\/"},"modified":"2026-07-16T09:51:29","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T09:51:29","slug":"macklin-celebrini-on-cover-ea-sports-nhl-27-video-game-talks-new-contract-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/623830\/","title":{"rendered":"Macklin Celebrini on cover EA Sports’ NHL 27 video game, talks new contract"},"content":{"rendered":"

Macklin Celebrini has made history again, as EA Sports announced<\/a> on Tuesday that the San Jose Sharks center is the cover athlete for its NHL 27<\/a> video game.<\/p>\n

Celebrini, who turned 20 last month<\/a>, is the youngest NHL player to be featured on the cover of the game.<\/p>\n

Celebrini is arguably the league\u2019s top young player and is quickly becoming one of its most marketable. Celebrini broke a single-season Sharks record with 115 points, including 70 assists, in 82 games.<\/p>\n

With the record-setting year, Celebrini joined an exclusive list of teenagers who scored 100 points in an NHL season, joining Wayne Gretzky, Sidney Crosby, Mario Lemieux, Dale Hawerchuk, and Jimmy Carson.<\/p>\n

Celebrini reached the 100-point mark in 72 games in his second season with the Sharks. Only Gretzky (61 games in 1979-80) and Crosby (65 games in 2006-07) reached the milestone faster as teenagers.<\/p>\n

This season also saw Celebrini win a silver medal at the Winter Olympics, captain Canada\u2019s team at the World Championship, be named a finalist for the Ted Lindsay Award as the NHL\u2019s MVP as voted by the players, and win the IIHF Male Athlete of the Year<\/a> Award.<\/p>\n

Celebrini is entering the final year of his entry-level contract and has said<\/a> he\u2019s open to signing a contract extension this summer.<\/p>\n

Celebrini\u2019s next deal will most likely make him one of the NHL\u2019s highest-paid players, but he told ESPN<\/a> recently that he\u2019s not necessarily going to seek every dollar available.<\/p>\n

The next generation is here. Macklin Celebrini is the youngest NHL cover athlete in history.<\/p>\n

Tune in for the #NHL27<\/a> Reveal Trailer July 16 at 11 AM ET: https:\/\/t.co\/jihAWdWaXP<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/C1LkKxBfu2<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 NHL (@NHL) July 14, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s just whenever it makes sense for both sides,\u201d Celebrini said. \u201cI still have a year left. There\u2019s no reason to rush. We\u2019ll kind of see how it goes.<\/p>\n

\u201cObviously, guys want to get paid \u2014 as they should, because you\u2019ve got to make a living. There are guys that deserve those numbers that are getting them, but of course, you want to put your team in the best spot possible, where you give a team the ability to make moves necessary to win. I think all that goes into the decision.\u201d<\/p>\n

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