“For forwards, it’s (Maclin) Celebrini,” the Ottawa Senators captain said, echoing a sentiment that has echoed throughout the hockey world this autumn. “He’s an unreal player.”
Be it the dressing room or the press box, player surveys or podcasts, no hockey player is generating as much buzz as Celebrini at the moment. The 19-year-old San Jose Sharks sophomore has topped the league’s scoring list and carved out a respected place in the world of sports.
Not even playing 100 games in his pro career, Celebrini is on his way to becoming your favorite player’s favorite player.
From every corner of the NHL – executives, scouts, players, coaches – you’ll hear the same thing.
Here’s how a veteran scout with over 20 years of NHL experience described him athletic: “Celebrini is 87. Love that kid.”
Comparisons to Sidney Crosby are not generally taken lightly in hockey circles. For obvious reasons, this is seen as an inappropriate behavior.
But frequent mentions in conversations about Celebrini are how determined he is to get into puck battles and compete for tough spots on the ice. How he has arrived in the world’s best hockey league with keen attention to detail and an infectious attitude. How he has already emerged as a leader worthy of a letter and is beginning to raise the bar for an organization that hasn’t seen a playoff game in nearly seven years.
Like Crosby, he’s much more than just a scorer — and yet, Celebrini’s 34 points are second in the NHL this season to only Nathan MacKinnon’s 37. Celebrini and MacKinnon will meet in a box-office game on Wednesday in Denver.
A scout from a rival Western Conference team said, “He’s amazing.” “He’s such a good player who plays on both ends. He also works away from the puck, which you don’t always expect from such a young and skilled player.”
Celebrini is half Crosby’s age and has already become Captain Canada’s favourite. They skated on the same line during the IIHF World Championship in May and spent time training together with MacKinnon in Halifax later that summer.
What is most special to Crosby about Celebrini?
“His hunger, his passion for the game (and) how hard he works.”
He sees a teenager who has developed rapidly even in the 14 months since making his NHL debut.
“He’s an unbelievable player,” Crosby said. “His all-round game is impressive at his age. He’s committed defensively. He competes hard. He has a very mature game for his age.”
John Tavares’ maturity was most evident when he met Celebrini at Team Canada’s summer orientation camp in August. Tavares said you would never know he was the youngest player there — a testament, he felt, to the specific athletic environment Celebrini was raised in thanks to his father, Rick, who is the director of sports medicine and performance with the NBA’s Golden State Warriors.
After sharing the dressing room with Celebrini at the World Championships, McKinnon also learned quickly.
“He’s miles ahead of where I was mentally when I was 18,” he told NHL.com during that event.
The best measure of his impact can be found in the encouraging and unexpected 11-9-3 start by the Sharks this season. They are in the mix to chase a wild-card playoff spot after spending years in the NHL basement, and Celebrini has recorded at least a point in every one of their wins so far.
His standout performances included two hat-tricks and two overtime winners.
While he’s surrounded by a group of teammates in San Jose who should eventually collectively return the team to contender status, including close friend Will Smith, it’s only Celebrini who appears to be fulfilling his immense promise prematurely.
This did not escape the attention of NBA star Draymond Green, who first met Celebrini in his pre-teen years after his father was hired by the Warriors. Green has worn the No. 71 Sharks jersey in his games and recently told reporters that he believes Celebrini’s gifts include an uncanny ability to create space to make big plays.
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– KNBR (@KNBR) 21 November 2025
“His mind is as good, if not better, than his skill set, and his skill set is already one of the best in the league,” Green said. “To say the least, I’m impressed with him, and I look forward to seeing him pursue greatness. When you’re being compared to 18-year-old greats — man. LeBron James was compared to 18-year-old greats, and he surpassed him. Mack has that thing.”
Celebrini’s growing popularity can be attributed in part to how likable a person he is: a down-to-earth, humble kid who is thrilled to be pursuing his dream while remaining unaffected by the praise.
After scoring all three goals in a 3–2 overtime win over Utah on November 18, Celebrini arrived for his postgame media interview shirtless and wearing a giant shark-tooth necklace at the insistence of veteran teammate Ryan Reaves.
“She’s a beauty,” said Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kent Johnson, who has known Celebrini since they were kids attending open skates at the North Shore Winter Club in Vancouver.
Those seasons often featured Celebrini and Connor Bedard holding their own against much older players. A decade later, Bedard is enjoying his own star turn with the Chicago Blackhawks and is almost on par with Celebrini goal for goal, point for point, while publicly supporting his teammate’s accomplishments. Celebrini has returned that praise to Bédard.
Looking back, it seemed like a natural next step for both of them.
Celebrini moved from Vancouver to California when his father took the Warriors job and then progressed through a series of top hockey factories from Shattuck-St. Mary’s prep school in Minnesota to the Chicago Steel of the USHL to the Boston University Terriers before being drafted by the Sharks.
For those who met him along the way, it’s natural for Celebrini’s name to quickly rise up the NHL scoring charts.
Boston Bruins forward Fraser Minton said, “I’ve seen it since he was seven years old and playing against my little brother and scoring five goals every game.” “To be honest, I’m not really surprised. He’s such a guy. He works very hard. Very competitive guy too, so there’s really no flaws in his game despite all the skills he has. It’s, as people are saying, the kind of player Crosby is. He has everything. Super competitive, good kid.
“The world is his oyster right now.”
Johnson is still a part of offseason skates in Vancouver that also includes Celebrini and believes his knack for winning stick battles is one of the things that helps separate him from the pack. Good luck coming up with the puck in a one-on-one matchup with Celebrini as they practice competitively in practice.
“It’s crazy how strong and good he is with his stick,” Johnson said. “He’s really good at everything. I can say a lot about his game.”
It’s no surprise that Celebrini has been at the center of so much Olympic roster debate, especially north of the border. He is vying to become the youngest Canadian selected by a men’s team to an Olympic tournament featuring NHL players.
At least one former Team Canada player, speaking on condition of anonymity, believes leaving Celebrini at home would be a mistake.
“They have to take him away,” the former Olympian said. athletic“He can kill the penalty if you need to, He can play the fourth line, Or he can play with Sid,”
As the hype grows for Celebrini, the league is coming to grips with a reality that became apparent as soon as he arrived in San Jose.
Franchise legend Joe Thornton took the stage in Las Vegas to announce Celebrini as the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft and has since taken him as his house guest, watching the early days of his career from a front row seat.
“Oh f—, he’s all good,” said Thornton, a recent Hockey Hall of Fame inductee. “He’s so good. He’s so competitive. He’s just strong. He’s driven. He has everything. I’ll be honest with you. He’s a whole 200-foot player.”
When it was suggested that Celebrini was becoming everyone’s favorite player because of the buzz and praise he was generating, Thornton smiled a wide smile.
“He probably should be.”
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