Macklin Celebrini was seven years old when Sidney Crosby last won gold at the 2014 Olympics. Now, the 19-year-old Celebrini is playing on the same team as the 38-year-old captain, and he's on a line with superstars.
MILAN, Italy - They all refer to him as 'kid.'
Not because he's immature or raw in his abilities. But simply because Macklin Celebrini is just so darn young.
The youngest player on Team Canada by a four-year margin, Celebrini was seven years old when Sidney Crosby last won gold at the 2014 Olympics. Now, the 19-year-old Celebrini is playing on the same team as the 38-year-old captain. But two games in, it's Celebrini — not Crosby — who is playing on a coveted top line with fellow Canadians Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon.
"At 19 years old, he's a great, young player," said McDavid. "Not just because he's so good with the puck, but just all the little things he does, the hard work he puts into the game. He's good along the wall, wins battles, plays just a hard game. An impressive kid."
Though he looks like he could be either one of his linemates' kid brother, with two goals and three points in two games, Celebrini has shown that he more than belongs to be among the best in the world. And he's probably only getting started.
This is Celebrini's first Olympics. But as long as NHLers keep participating in the Olympics — and as long as Celebrini continues on his trajectory — he could be representing Canada for a long, long time.
How long? In 2042, Celebrini will be 35 years old and possibly playing in his fifth Olympics. If Crosby's longevity is anything to go by, a 39-year-old Celebrini might even get to six Olympics.
"Take his age out of it," said Team Canada coach Jon Cooper. "He's a helluva hockey player. He may be 19 years old — like, his physical body is — but his acumen for the game is not. He's wise beyond his years."
Praise Cooper all you want for giving the kid a chance ahead of older, more experienced players, but Cooper has seen this movie before.
Back in 2016, Auston Matthews had just turned 19 and had not yet even made his NHL debut when he was selected to play for Team North America at the World Cup of Hockey. Cooper was the assistant coach. And Matthews was supposed to begin the tournament as the 13th forward. Of course, it wasn't long before he worked his way up to the top line next to McDavid, finishing the tournament with three points in three games.
So far, Celebrini has had a similar impact.
"I mean, he's the truth," MacKinnon told ESPN. "He's going to be the best player in this league for a long time. He might already be there."
"He's a dog on a bone, that kid," McDavid said after Celebrini won a puck battle to help set up a goal in a 5-1 win against Switzerland. "I can’t say enough good things about that kid. He's so, so impressive."
That Celebrini hasn't looked out of place shouldn't really be a surprise. A year ago, he was the No. 1 overall pick for the San Jose Sharks. And after scoring 63 points in his rookie season, only three other players – McDavid, MacKinnon and Nikita Kucherov – had recorded more points when the NHL entered the Olympic break.
But while Celebrini's offensive ability obviously fits well on the top line, it's his work ethic that has really stood out with his teammates.
"He's definitely way more mature than his age would say," said Team Canada center Nick Suzuki. "He plays with a ton of detail for his age, and it's been impressive to see."
"He's such a fun kid, such a good kid," said Team Canada right winger Tom Wilson. "He's got that swagger."
When asked what it means to be playing at the Olympics — especially when fellow youngster Connor Bedard, who was the No. 1 overall pick in 2023, was left home — Celebrini said he's not taking the moment for granted.
"I think it's all pride, you're just honored to wear the Canadian sweater and represent all the people back at home and all the other athletes that are here," Celebrini said. "I think that's the biggest thing, that we're all Team Canada. Every athlete, whether they're in Cortina or down here, we're all repping Team Canada and trying to make the people back home proud."
At times, Celebrini has taken that message to heart. Like when he took a otherwise meaningless tripping penalty late in the game against Switzerland on Friday.
By then, the score was 5-1. But for Celebrini, who started sweating that he had blown his chance at belonging, it was like finally getting caught in a bar with a fake I.D.
"He told me he was s------g his pants when he went in the box," said Doughty. "I was like, 'Buddy, what do you got to worry about? You got the best PKers in Canada behind you.' "
For Celebrini, it might have been the only time at these Olympics when he looked his age.
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