Macklin Celebrini is already getting the magazine-cover treatment.
Celebrini sat down for a long conversation with Belmont Cameli, the actor from Off Campus, in a feature tied to a photo shoot for The Hollywood Reporter. The two went back and forth for more than 30 minutes, touching on their favorite career moments, the pressure of fame, their hockey connections, and plenty more.
Cameli also brought up Celebrini’s new contract, and Celebrini said, “It still feels weird, because that’s not really why I’m playing or anything like that, and it was a long negotiation,” Celebrini answered Cameli. “Trying to figure out what worked best for our young core and how special our group is and making sure everyone gets paid and where the cap is going.”
A few weeks into the deal, Celebrini said his spending hasn’t really changed yet, though buying a house is near the top of his list.
Elsewhere in Sharks news, John Klingberg announced his retirement and explained what comes next, while also giving Eric Stephens a detailed look back at his final season with the San Jose Sharks.
There’s also plenty happening on the prospect front. Michael Misa and Ivar Stenberg spoke before Rookie Faceoff, Brodie Brazil also talked with Stenberg, and the Sharks have more young names to watch at the event, including Alexander Karmanov, who has been handed a three-game suspension.
The organization is also taking the pulse of the fan experience at SAP Center, asking supporters for feedback as questions swirl about whether the unpopular goal song might be on its way out.
Around the broader hockey world, PWHL San Jose has the Sharks behind it, and training camps are set to open on November 18. The Bay Area club also has two preseason scrimmages scheduled at Tech CU Arena at the end of November: Seattle vs.
San Jose on Nov. 29 at 5 p.m. PT, followed by San Jose vs.
Seattle on Nov. 30 at 1 p.m. PT.
The PWHL has also landed a TV deal that will put select games on ION.
Elsewhere, the hockey community is mourning Barry Melrose, Dylan Larkin is heading to Detroit Red Wings training camp but not as captain, and there are questions about who could take over that role. There are also mixed messages around the New Jersey Devils’ interest in Connor Hellebuyck, plus speculation about where UFA Chris Kreider might land and which Western Conference team had the strangest offseason.
In Other News...
Misas First Sharks Summer Could Decide How Fast He Breaks Through
Michael Misas first summer in the Sharks system has been about getting stronger, getting faster and getting more comfortable with the demands that come with a jump toward the NHL. He spent time refining the parts of his game that tend to separate prospects from players who can stay up, with a focus on his shot, his speed and his ability to protect the puck. It was also a summer with some familiar company in Vancouver, where he worked alongside Macklin Celebrini and Sam Dickinson and even logged a Grouse Grind hike as part of the grind.
For San Jose, the encouraging part is not just that Misa is preparing for the Rookie Faceoff, but that he sounds intent on making this season count in a big way. He said he gained just under 10 pounds of muscle and is now around 196, a sign that he knows how much the next step will demand physically as well as technically. The question for the Sharks is how quickly that work translates once the games start and whether his first real stretch in the organization pushes him closer to breaking through sooner rather than later. [Read more 🡒]
Sharks Face A Will Smith Decision They Can't Drag Out
The Sharks long view on Will Smith has suddenly become a near-term item, with a Sept. 15 deadline tied to the NHLs new collective bargaining agreement shaping how much flexibility San Jose has left. Smith is one of the organizations most promising young pieces, and the question for general manager Mike Grier is whether to lock in more of the players prime now or wait and accept a shorter runway later.
A longer agreement would give the Sharks more security around a core talent and an extra season of team control, but it also asks them to guess how both sides want to proceed before the market forces a decision. Grier has been deliberate since taking over, and this is the kind of call that can quietly define a rebuild: commit early, or risk watching the terms narrow once the calendar flips. [Read more 🡒]
Oilers Blue-Line Newcomer Could Force A Tough Roster Decision
Shakir Mukhamadullins move into Edmonton has turned into one of the more interesting camp battles to watch on the Oilers blue line. The former Sharks defenseman arrives with a new contract in hand and a real chance to carve out a role in a group that needs options, especially from someone who can settle in and handle NHL minutes without forcing the coaching staff to reshuffle everything around him.
For San Jose, his departure is another reminder of how quickly the roster picture can shift when a young defenseman starts drawing attention elsewhere. The Oilers see him as a player who could fit in as a depth blueliner, but the way he plays and the way he adjusts this fall will determine whether he sticks in the lineup or ends up in a different kind of role than the one Edmonton is now weighing so carefully. [Read more 🡒]