Mackenzie Blackwood knew about the hype, but he wanted to see it in person.
Blackwood arrived in San Jose at the start of his second season with the club, and everyone was excited to see Macklin Celebrini, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NHL draft. It didn’t take long for the kid to make an impression.
“First day I got there, when it was the captain’s skates, not even real training camp — I was like, ‘Damn, this kid is for real,’ ” Blackwood said. “The first day, he was scoring some crazy goals and I was like, ‘OK, maybe he’s just having a good day?’ But it was pretty impressive, and then the next day and the next day, he just kept doing it.
“He was just the best guy on the whole team at 18.”
Celebrini had a great rookie season with the Sharks, and finished third in the Calder Trophy voting. He looked like a future star in the making.
That future has arrived. Celebrini and the Sharks play Wednesday night at Ball Arena against the Colorado Avalanche, and he is second in the league in scoring with 34 points. He’s helped make the young Sharks one of the early-season surprises.
After two years as the league’s worst team, the Sharks arrived in Denver in ninth place in the Western Conference, two points shy of a playoff spot.
“We had expectations coming into this year,” Celebrini said. “We wanted to have a better season, play better, make those next steps. I think we’ve done that through the first 22 games, but there’s plenty more that we need to build on and a lot we need to work on still.”
Celebrini became just the fourth teenager in NHL history to have 30 points in the first 20 games of a season, joining Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux and Sidney Crosby. He’s going to face the NHL’s leading scorer, Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon, on Wednesday night.
Just as games between MacKinnon and Crosby have been appointment television for years because of their friendship and obvious connections, games between the Avs superstar and Celebrini are now as well.
And just as Crosby became a mentor for MacKinnon as their friendship grew, both of those guys have done the same for Celebrini.
“He’s great. Spent a lot of time with him at world championships and then saw him this summer too,” MacKinnon said. “Lots of golf and just hanging out. He’s an awesome guy. I think he’s super dedicated and focused.
“Obviously, having your dad show him all those things is pretty cool. He’s very mature. Seems like a great leader for that team. Just an awesome player, a guy you’d definitely want to build a team around for sure.”
Celebrini’s father, Rick, is the director of sports medicine and performance for the Golden State Warriors. Macklin grew up in Vancouver, but also spent time living in the Bay Area and played one season with the Junior Sharks youth program.
He’s earned praise as a complete player, and as being well ahead of his years without the puck. He’s drawn comparisons to MacKinnon and Crosby with his off-ice work ethic, plus his blend of world-class skill and competitive nature. He’s also about the same size as Crosby, shoots left-handed and uses his lower body to win battles for pucks in similar fashion.
“I think he plays a lot like (Nikita) Kucherov and Sid, a bit of a mix of both,” MacKinnon said. “Yeah, I get it. I get the comparison. I think Sid plays at the net a little more, but they both battle hard. The compete is second to none with both of those guys, so yeah I can see it.”
Celebrini’s incredible start to the season has made him a viable candidate to make Canada’s roster for the 2026 Winter Olympics. He went to the world championships this past summer and fit in well with three goals and six points in eight games.
Just putting up great offensive numbers does not make anyone a lock for Team Canada. The Canadians will always have offense to spare, but what could separate Celebrini from other young stars like Connor Bedard or Wyatt Johnston is how well-rounded his game is, despite still being a teenager.
“Yeah, I think he has a great chance, as good as anybody,” MacKinnon said. “He’s just one of the best players in the world at 19 years old. He’s impressive.
“Obviously, you’d have to ask (Hockey Canada general manager Doug Armstrong) about that, but it’s looking good for him for sure.”
Blackwood has spent time as a teammate and a foe with Celebrini. The teenager got the best of him in the first matchup of the season between these clubs, scoring San Jose’s first goal in a 3-2 overtime win at SAP Center.
He’d certainly put Celebrini on the Olympic team. It seems like MacKinnon would, if he had a say, as well. Celebrini has gone from future star to franchise superstar in a hurry, and he’ll likely see a lot of MacKinnon on the ice at Ball Arena.
“Mack is the ultimate professional,” Blackwood said. “He’s definitely like Nate and Sid. I think he’s got a lot of that in him. But at the same time, he can also be a fun, happy-go-lucky guy too. He’s a little bit of both in him, which is kind of unique, I think. He’s joking all the time, always has a smile on his face.
“But just like those guys, when it’s time to go, he’s locked in and he’s the ultimate competitor.”
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