Macklin Celebrini, a center for the San Jose Sharks, reflected on March 12 about his rapid transition from college hockey at Boston University to competing in the National Hockey League and representing Team Canada at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026. Celebrini is now focused on helping the Sharks secure a place in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The significance of this moment is heightened by the Sharks’ unexpected position in the standings. After finishing last season with the fewest points in the NHL, San Jose currently sits just one point behind a playoff spot, with games in hand over their closest competitors. “If someone would have told you in October at the start of training camp we’d be one point out of a playoff spot, March [11], they probably wouldn’t believe it,” said San Jose coach Ryan Warsofsky.
Celebrini has been instrumental for San Jose this season, recording 90 points (33 goals, 57 assists) in 62 games. His performance stands out as he leads his team by a wide margin. The lessons he learned during his time with Team Canada at the Olympics continue to influence his approach. “Playing over there, you were around some of the best winners that have ever played the game and some of the best coaches in the League…the way that they approach it, the way that the guys have bought into winning hockey, and the way you need to play to win,” Celebrini said.
Warsofsky noted that Celebrini’s Olympic experience helped him develop patience on ice: “Sometimes it’s OK not to have great plays happen every shift…so I think that’s probably the biggest thing, is the patience that you need to play with throughout the game.” The team has also emphasized collective effort and resilience as they face strong opponents during their current road trip.
Looking ahead, Celebrini remains optimistic about both immediate and long-term prospects for San Jose. “We’re obviously trying to make it. We’re trying to make as good of a push as we can and do everything we can to win some games here and get enough points to get the job done,” he said. He added that simply being part of a playoff race marks significant progress for a team that was out of contention early last year.
