From THN's Archive: Top 100 21 And Under #1. Macklin Celebrini

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Top 100 21 And Under #1. Macklin Celebrini - Oct. 31, 2025 - Vol. 79, Issue 04  – Ryan Kennedy

POS: C | AGE: 19 | LY: 2

SAN JOSE SHARKS (NHL) | DRAFT: 1ST, 2024 (SJ)

WHILE THE SAN JOSE Sharks were bottom feeders in the standings last year, the foundations of a winning team were starting to become apparent. Macklin Celebrini, the first-overall pick in the 2024 NHL draft, lived up to the hype and probably surpassed most outside expectations in his rookie NHL campaign. Celebrini led the Sharks in scoring with 63 points in 70 games, then headed off to the World Championship for Canada, where he posted a robust six points in eight outings.

While Team Canada was upset in the quarterfinal by co-host Denmark, Celebrini got an experience any teenage player would kill for: he got to be linemates with Sidney Crosby. “At first, I was a little starstruck,” Celebrini said. “I didn’t want to talk to him too much. But getting more comfortable and being around him more, you realize how genuine a guy he is and how nice he is.”

As for No. 87, he gave the stamp of approval on Celebrini in more ways than one. “He’s really hungry,” Crosby said. “You could see it last year. As the season went on, he got better and better. I skated with him in the summer in Halifax, and he was even better than he was at the World Championship, so I know he’s working hard. I loved playing with him. He’s quite the player.”

Celebrini skated with Crosby and his summer crew for three days, with fellow San Jose youngster Will Smith taking part as well. Celebrini said he loved the pace and standard in Halifax, and undoubtedly, those are the types of experiences that can go a long way in a new NHLer’s growth.

Back in San Jose, the Sharks made sure Celebrini was also in a good environment off the ice, as he lived with franchise legend Joe Thornton. “It was great,” Celebrini said. “He’s big into football, and his son plays all different sports. So coming home, eating dinner and hearing about what was going on with the kids’ sports helped me take my mind off things.”

Ah yes, things like playing through a season in which the Sharks finished last place in the league with just 20 wins and 52 points. Amazingly, it was a slight improvement on 2023-24, before they got Celebrini, but for the gifted young center, losing was a new feeling. Before he got to the NHL last season, he had gone from famed prep school Shattuck-St. Mary’s to a powerful USHL Chicago Steel team, then a Boston University squad that made the Frozen Four. “That’s the first time I haven’t played in the playoffs,” he said. “It was an adjustment. Teams were still playing, and I wasn’t. I didn’t like it very much. One of my Shattuck teams lost one game all year.”

But Celebrini’s combination of skill and competitiveness is the reason he’s our No. 1 player on this list. He won way more puck battles than anyone would have expected during his rookie campaign – at one point, he was winning more per game than any other NHLer – and while he’s not small, he’s also not a monster at six-foot and 190 pounds. “That was my mindset,” Celebrini said. “There are players who are older, bigger and stronger, and they can push you around a bit. So knowing that, I did my best to win some pucks. Especially for our team, it was important to get as many pucks back as possible. Every battle you win helps the team.”

And if San Jose is going to turn around the ocean liner, Celebrini will be the one at the helm. His first NHL season was an impressive success, but it’s clear that he is not satisfied with just showing up. “I’m going to go into every season wanting to push the level and win as many games as possible,” he said. “Starting this year, it’s time to push that pace. We can’t just be OK with coming last or losing games. The amount of games we led and lost or lost in OT, those are valuable points. Having that mindset of never letting a game slip away, we don’t want to get into a situation where three or four years from now, we’re doing the same thing.”

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