© Sergei Belski-Imagn ImagesSan Jose Sharks forward Macklin Celebrini has an incredible opportunity ahead of him at the IIHF World Championships.
Late last night, both Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon accepted their invites to go overseas and suit up for Team Canada. That means Celebrini now gets the chance to play on a team with two of the best players in the world.
This is not only a great chance to win Gold with Canada—it’s also an invaluable opportunity for Celebrini to learn and grow. He’ll get to watch how Crosby and MacKinnon prepare, how they approach each game, and how they carry themselves on and off the ice.
A recent example of an NHL player who was starstruck by the future hall-of-famer was came earlier this year with Toronto Maple Leafs star Mitch Marner. He’s spoken openly about how surreal it was to play alongside Crosby during the 4-Nations Face-Off in February.
“If you tell 10-year-old Mitch that he scored an overtime goal assisted by Sidney Crosby, a guy he looked up to from day one—that’s pretty crazy,” Marner said. “Ever since day one, like I’ve spoken about all week, 87 is all I wore growing up, it’s all I cheered for. Yeah, it’s a really cool, surreal, pinch-me moment there, for sure.”
Now, it’s Celebrini’s turn. He’s going to get the full Team Canada experience—and have his own “pinch me” moment skating alongside some of the best players in the world.
The hope is that Celebrini gets some shifts with both stars and gets a feel for how they see and think the game—something that could be huge for his development as a young NHL star.
