EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Macklin Celebrini’s highly anticipated NHL debut is still more than three weeks out, but it figures to be a full SAP Center when the San Jose Sharks host the St. Louis Blues. The building, now three decades old, figures to be loud that night. Just like those days when it rocked on the regular.
The renewed excitement around the franchise has been palpable, and Celebrini hasn’t disappointed at each signpost. Just the mere mention of his name — as it was announced by franchise legend Joe Thornton as the No. 1 pick in June — was the reason why several thousand Sharks fans went to the arena in late June for a draft party. And the 18-year-old’s presence helped to nearly fill a 4,200-seat arena for the team’s prospect development camp intrasquad scrimmage.
On Friday, Celebrini had his first competitive game in a San Jose jersey during the seven-team Rookie Faceoff showcase. Anything that Celebrini does this season will bring meaning.
When Celebrini ripped a snap shot for a power-play goal in the Sharks’ 3-2 victory over the Utah Hockey Club, there was meaning. It was another small but, hopefully for San Jose, definitive screen capture of a player who has a knack of meeting the moment, after he dominated college hockey in his one and only NCAA season.
A player that has been of legal voting age for only three months.
“It’s crazy,” said Ethan Cardwell, a 2021 draft pick who was among the top players for the AHL’s San Jose Barracuda last season. “It’s wild. The way he moves. Even his physical presence himself. He’s a big boy for his age and he skates so well. The way he makes plays and processes the game is second to none. That’s why he went first overall and we’re happy to have him.”
The Sharks didn’t play Celebrini in Sunday’s rookie game contest against Anaheim, and there’s a strong possibility that he won’t suit up in another game until sometime during the preseason. Friday’s showing was enough for club officials to readily see that he’s already at a notch about his peers.
It took Celebrini one period to fire on all cylinders, as his powerful 200-foot game made a difference from the second period on. When he had the puck, he was often in full flight through the zones, either directly setting up teammates or maintaining possession with an advanced sense of puck protection. When he didn’t have it, Celebrini tracked back hard and broke up Utah’s efforts at creating scoring chances.
In one instance when he defended against Utah’s Owen Allard, Celebrini simply took the puck the away from Allard with a stick check in one hand and then turned his body in one motion to protect the puck as he maintained possession with his other hand and powered up ice.
Last year’s Hobey Baker Award winner — the fourth to do so as a freshman, following Paul Kariya, Jack Eichel and Adam Fantilli — was a tough self-critic. “It was the first game, so I didn’t think I was very good,” Celebrini said. “There’s still some wrinkles. It’s tough to come into a little tournament like this after only a couple days of practice and then play well.”
But he left an indelible impression on others.
“He’s an incredible player,” Cardwell said. “He plays with so much pace. He sees the ice well. I was getting passes I didn’t think could come through in certain spots and stuff. He really opens up the ice for all the other players out there. You got to be head on a swivel and be ready because he’ll make a pass that nobody’s expecting.”
With the Sharks trailing by a goal in the third period, Celebrini won a draw against Allard to start a power play. He stayed in motion through the offensive zone, getting another touch of the puck and then finding his way to the right circle. Defense prospect Luca Cagnoni drew a penalty-killer his way and moved the puck over from the top of San Jose’s 1-3-1 setup.
Celebrini made an initial fake of a one-timer off the pass, which drew a Utah penalty-killer toward him. He then moved to his left to change the shooting lane and uncorked a hard wrist shot to cleanly beat Utah goalie Anson Thornton.
“I thought I read the play a little bit differently and he didn’t slide as much as I thought,” he said. “It was just a read and something I’ve worked on.”
The game was Celebrini’s first real contest against another team since his season at Boston University ended with a 2-1 loss to eventual NCAA champion Denver in the Frozen Four semifinals. “Especially getting changed before the game and then warmups,” Celebrini said of his emotions Friday. “Putting the jersey on. It kind of came real. It was a good feeling.”
A lot of eyes will be watching the initial steps he takes toward possible stardom. Perhaps there will be some stumbles along the route. But there is an ease about him, a lighter, boyish side that pops out like when he’s standing behind reporters trying to throw off teammate Will Smith as he conducts an interview. “He keeps it pretty tight,” Celebrini said.
Smith, who signed with the Sharks after leading the NCAA in scoring as a freshman at Boston College, could be going through the same experiences Celebrini will as a rookie if he makes the club and sticks all season. The two might were college rivals, but they’re almost being linked together as the pair that will one day lead San Jose back on a playoff path.
“It’s great,” said Smith, the No. 4 overall pick in 2023. “We’re both jokesters, too. Roommates on the road. It’s been pretty funny. Dinners that we’ve gone to have been some good laughs. It’s been good.”
Celebrini also seems comfortable even around with the media. He’s had a lot of practice and doesn’t seem to mind the spotlight. To the suggestion that the shot fake to throw off a defender was something he likes to do, his response was, “I can’t give you all my secrets.”
A wry smile accompanied that affable retort. Indeed, Celebrini will be 18 throughout his first NHL season but he doesn’t often act that young.
“I honestly haven’t seen it,” Cardwell said. “He’s blending in with all of us. I’m 22 now. You wouldn’t think he’s a day younger than me. He’s a true talent and obviously those first overall picks, you can definitely tell when you’re out there.
“He’s definitely one of them. He’s going to be a great success the rest of his career.”
(Photo of Macklin Celebrini at Sharks development camp in July: Kavin Mistry / NHLI via Getty Images)
