San Jose Sharks rookie forwards Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith are about to face Washington Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin for the first time.

At 18 and 19 years old, respectively, the duo grew up watching Ovi, Sidney Crosby, Patrick Kane, and others.

Celebrini has gone on record as a big Crosby fan and has enjoyed watching the rivalry between Crosby and Ovechkin. After Thursday’s 4-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks, much of the NHL world sees the potential for Celebrini and Connor Bedard to develop a similar rivalry.

“It was just awesome seeing those guys compete against each other,” Celebrini said. “They faced each other so many times in the playoffs. Just watching that hockey is his peak childhood for those playoffs.”

Celebrini told reporters that he had met Ovechkin when he was five or six while his father worked for the Vancouver Canucks.

Smith and Celebrini didn’t face Ovechkin during their visit to Washington due to Ovechkin’s leg injury.

“He’s one of those guys you mark on your calendar [that] you want to play against,” Smith said. “[I’m] definitely mad I missed him in Washington, but it’s gonna be pretty cool tomorrow.”

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