Facing hometown Canucks 'a bit surreal' for Sharks rookie Celebrini

VANCOUVER — Macklin Celebrini grew up dreaming of playing NHL hockey at Rogers Arena.

On Monday, that dream becomes a reality.

"Skating here when I was younger, I kind of tried to put myself in an NHL player’s situation or shoes, and pretend to be them. And now I’m practising here and getting ready for the game tomorrow," the 18-year-old San Jose Sharks centre said Sunday. "It’s pretty surreal.”

Raised in North Vancouver, B.C., Celebrini was picked first overall by the Sharks at June's NHL entry draft. He's since become a rookie sensation with 11 goals and 12 assists in his first 24 games.

On Monday, he'll look to add to the tally when he plays his hometown Vancouver Canucks for the first time.

It's a major milestone for a young player who grew up around the team. His dad, Rick Celebrini, worked in health sciences with the Canucks and the Celebrini kids often found themselves at the rink.

“We'd kind of go into the family room and between periods or after the game, you'd kind of peek your head out and try to see if you can see a guy or two," Macklin Celebrini said.

"I remember, I saw Sid (Crosby) one time in the hallway, and me and my brother were kind of freaking out there and we saw the Sedins walking by and stuff. Those are the memories that kind of stick with you.”

After being drafted by the Sharks, he scored and contributed an assist in his NHL debut. He then reaggravated a hip injury that kept him sidelined for 12 games.

Celebrini's offensive prowess has been evident since his return — the six-foot, 190-pound forward has three goals and four assists in his last five games.

The rookie does something impressive "every single night," said Sharks forward Tyler Toffoli.

"A lot of things that people don't even realize that he's doing — just the way he competes, the 50-50, battles, even the battles that you don't normally see guys win," he said. "In general, he's winning those battles. He's 18 years old at the same time. So it's pretty special.”

Some of the decisions the young player has made while out on the ice have been "super impressive," said head coach Ryan Warsofsky. What he does behind the scenes is special, too.

“Us coaches show them clips and we talk about details, and usually he picks it up really quickly. And whether that’s shift to shift or game to game, he's picking up things extremely quickly," he said. "For an 18-year-old kid, it’s remarkable.”

Despite Celebrini's success, San Jose has struggled and remains last in the Pacific Division with an 11-19-6 record.

“There's some ups and downs, mistakes, learning curves. But overall, I feel good," Celebrini said. "I mean, it kind of sucks right now. We haven't won too many in the last couple games. But we've been there. We’ve been close enough where I think we should have won a couple of those games.

"But that's the nature of it. You're not going to win every game. And I think we're just going to keep trying to learn how to close out games, especially when we have the lead, how to protect it, and kind of shut some of those games out.”

There'll be a lot of friendly faces in the stands Monday when Celebrini and the Sharks take on the Canucks, including his parents and grandparents.

Rick Celebrini, now director of sports medicine and performance for the Golden State Warriors, took a few days away from the NBA team's road trip to be in Vancouver and take in the game with 50 or 60 family and friends.

"I spent almost 50 years here in Vancouver, and the kids were all born and raised here, and they developed as athletes and as people here," he said.

"So to see now Macklin practising there today, and playing them tomorrow, it certainly is a full-circle moment and one of those times in life where you just kind of check yourself and appreciate everything that's happened.”

Canucks prospect Aiden Celebrini — Macklin's older brother — will also be in the stands.

He won't be sporting a Sharks jersey with a Celebrini nameplate, however.

“I don't think that'd be very wise of him," Macklin Celebrini said with a smile. "He should just keep it neutral. He can't wear a Canucks jersey either. He’s just got to wear a sweater.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 22, 2024.