Macklin Celebrini Is Putting on a Show in Milan - and He’s Just Getting Started
We’re only through the preliminary round of the men’s hockey tournament at the Milan Cortina Olympics, and Macklin Celebrini is already carving his name into the history books. At just 19 years old, the San Jose Sharks rookie is not only leading the charge for Team Canada - he’s doing it in record-setting fashion.
Celebrini added another chapter to his breakout tournament on Sunday, scoring twice (including a penalty shot) and notching an assist as Canada rolled past France 10-2 to close out Group A play with a perfect 3-0-0-0 record. That brings his total to four goals and two assists through three games - just one point shy of the Sharks’ franchise record for most points by a player in a single Winter Olympics.
That record? It belongs to Dany Heatley, who put up seven points (four goals, three assists) in seven games during Canada’s gold-medal run at the 2010 Vancouver Games.
Dan Boyle also hit six points that year. Now, Celebrini is right there with them - and he’s done it in less than half the games.
Making Olympic History - One Penalty Shot at a Time
The highlight moment came late in the second period against France. Celebrini was hooked on a breakaway by French defenseman Florian Chakiachvili, drawing a penalty shot at the 17:16 mark. Under IIHF rules, Canada could’ve sent out any player to take the shot - but head coach Jon Cooper stuck with the kid who earned it.
Good call.
Celebrini calmly skated in and buried it past French goaltender Julian Junca, making him the first NHL player ever to score on a penalty shot in Olympic history.
“I had no idea that you could pick a shooter, so I just assumed it was me,” Celebrini said with a laugh postgame. “If they sent somebody else to take my place, I would have gotten off the ice.”
He’s not wrong - under Olympic rules, teams can choose their shooter. But when you’ve got a 19-year-old playing with the confidence and composure of a seasoned vet, why look elsewhere?
Teenage Company: Malkin, Määttä, and Now Celebrini
With Sunday’s three-point performance, Celebrini moved past Olli Määttä (2014) for the most goals by a teenager in an Olympic tournament featuring NHL players. He also tied Evgeni Malkin (2006) for the most points by a teenager in such a tournament.
That’s elite company - and keep in mind, he’s still got at least one more game to go.
He wasn’t done after the penalty shot, either. Celebrini assisted on Connor McDavid’s goal just 20 seconds into the third period and later added a power-play tally of his own, pushing Canada’s lead to 10-2.
Line Chemistry Building at the Right Time
Canada’s top lines have been in flux throughout the group stage, but Sunday saw Celebrini reunited with McDavid and Tom Wilson to start the game. Nathan MacKinnon rotated in for a few shifts, but the McDavid-Celebrini-Wilson trio - which also dominated in Canada’s 5-0 win over Czechia - looked sharp once again.
That chemistry is starting to click, and it couldn’t come at a better time.
“We’re getting more comfortable with each other,” Celebrini said of playing alongside McDavid. “It’s a lot of fun playing with him and (Wilson), working off those guys, making plays and just trying to create offense.”
In the earlier games, Celebrini had a goal against Czechia on Thursday and followed it up with a goal and an assist in Friday’s 5-1 win over Switzerland - a performance that clinched Canada’s top spot in Group A and a direct ticket to the quarterfinals.
Sharks Well-Represented in Milan
Celebrini isn’t the only Shark making noise in Milan.
Slovakia, featuring San Jose winger Pavol Regenda, clinched first place in Group B despite a 5-3 loss to Sweden. Thanks to goal differential, they edged out both Sweden - who have Sharks center Alexander Wennberg - and Finland to take the top seed.
Elsewhere, Sharks forward Philipp Kurashev helped Switzerland edge Czechia 4-3 in overtime. The Swiss are now headed for the qualification playoffs, likely facing France or Italy. That’s no small feat, especially considering they lost Kings forward Kevin Fiala to a season-ending injury during Friday’s game against Canada.
Looking Ahead: The Real Work Begins Now
With the preliminary round in the rearview mirror, the top four teams in the 12-team tournament - including Canada and Slovakia - earn a bye straight into Wednesday’s quarterfinals. The remaining eight nations will battle it out in Tuesday’s single-elimination qualification round.
The U.S., sitting at 2-0-0-0, took care of Denmark 6-3 on Saturday and can lock up their own quarterfinal spot with anything other than a regulation loss to Germany.
As for Canada, the mission is clear.
“We’re enjoying it,” Celebrini said. “We know the work is ahead with the quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals coming up, and hopefully, we get there.”
If Celebrini keeps playing like this, “getting there” might just be the beginning.
Top Sharks Scorers in a Single Winter Olympics:
| Player | Team | Year | Games | Points |
|---|
| Dany Heatley | Canada | 2010 | 7 | 7 | | Dan Boyle | Canada | 2010 | 7 | 6 |
| Macklin Celebrini | Canada | 2026 | 3 | 6 | | Joe Pavelski | U.S.
| 2014 | 6 | 5 | | Patrick Marleau | Canada | 2010 | 7 | 5 |
| Patrick Marleau | Canada | 2014 | 6 | 4 | | Niklas Sundstrom | Sweden | 2002 | 4 | 4 |
Celebrini’s name is already climbing that list - and he’s not done yet.