The word is out: Macklin Celebrini is an NHL legend in the making. The rookie point-scorer had already raised people’s expectations of him sky-high, but his recent exploits on the ice have propelled him to stratospheric levels. The San Jose Sharks prodigy has come dangerously close to the hockey greats, such as Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon.
San Jose Sharks’ Macklin Celebrini Creates History at 19
The Sharks met the Los Angeles Kings at the Crypto.com Arena on Wednesday, and a tense game ensued between the division rivals. Ultimately, the Sharks were able to cruise past the Kings in a tight 4-3 OT win. Celebrini played a decisive role in ensuring his team had the last laugh, accumulating three points, a goal, and two assists, thereby extending his point streak to 12 games.
Celebrini assisted William Eklund in scoring the winning goal at 3:08 of overtime. “Obviously, if you’re open for Mac, he’s gonna find you, so that’s something I was trying to do, just be open. He found me good there, and I was able to be a little lucky and get that in,” Eklund weighed in on the winning goal and Celebrini, as reported by NHL independent correspondent Dan Greenspan.
Praise for Celebrini poured in as Sharks HC Ryan Warsofsky admitted that the 19-year-old is only getting better with time. “I mean, he just keeps impressing us and impressing us, and getting better and better, and took over that game there, and makes a hell of a play in the 6-on-5. He’s definitely turning into a superstar right before our eyes, that’s for sure.”
With that, Celebrini has accumulated 67 points in 43 games playing for San Jose this season. For the record, he had scored 63 points over 70 games last season; it goes without saying that he is not even close to being done. At 19, he is only behind McDavid and MacKinnon in terms of most points this season so far.
The Edmonton Oilers Captain leads the list with 75 points. MacKinnon of the formidable Colorado Avalanche is a close second with 74 points. Celebrini is third with 67 points.
“He is 19 years old,” a social media user shared, highlighting the impressive feat of Celebrini, given his age. The rookie forward has already come dangerously close to threatening the hegemony of hockey greats, and now it is not a matter of if, but of when Celebrini will establish himself as an undisputable leader of the sport.
But for now, the 19-year-old is enabling the Sharks to bolster their playoff odds, one extraordinary game at a time.
