The Kid 2.0 will represent Team Canada in the Milan Olympics.
Macklin Celebrini’s childhood dreams have become a reality. The 19-year-old forward has officially been named to Team Canada for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, a prestigious honor at any stage of a player’s career—and particularly remarkable for someone in just their second professional season.
Celebrini joins a star-studded roster featuring Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon—the only two NHL players who have surpassed his impressive 60-point tally this season—underscoring the prodigious impact he has made in the league at such a young age.
The rising star is coming off an electrifying performance on Monday, recording three points in San Jose’s gritty 5-4 victory over the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center, marking his NHL-leading 10th three-point game of the season.
Celebrini has already amassed 96 points in the calendar year, tying the legendary Steve Yzerman for the fourth-most points ever recorded by a teenager. He trails only Hall of Famer Dale Hawerchuk, future Hall of Famer Sidney Crosby, and the all-time great Wayne Gretzky.
The Sharks already boast 19 wins this season, just one shy of their total from last year, and Celebrini’s impact has been a major factor. There is no doubt that he is on a path to greatness. One day, when he looks back on the accolades he earns throughout his career, he will be able to smile at the memory of taking the ice for his country for the first time on the world’s biggest stage.
But for now, Celebrini will have to focus on the task at hand as the Sharks square off against Kirill Kaprizov and the Minnesota Wild in 30 minutes.
The Wild (24-10-6) have won their last two games after dropping their previous two to the Nashville Predators and the league-best Colorado Avalanche. Marcus Johansson is coming off a four-point game for the club.
As previously noted, Celebrini recorded three points in the win over Anaheim, but the Sharks also received strong contributions from their depth players. Goals came from multiple different skaters, and a total of 11 players registered points in the game.
