Celebrini named IIHF Male Player of the Year, led Olympics in goals

Macklin Celebrini was voted the IIHF's Male Player of the Year for the 2025-26 hockey season.

The San Jose Sharks center, who represented Team Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics in February, finished first in voting among a panel of roughly 200 media members.

Celebrini led the Olympics with five goals and was second with 10 points in six games. He helped Canada to the silver medal and was named to the tournament's All-Star Team. He also played for Canada at the 2026 World Championships in May, when he was captain and finished second among all scorers with 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in 10 games.

The 20-year-old, who was the No. 1 pick by San Jose in the 2024 NHL Draft, was a finalist for the Ted Lindsay Award as NHL MVP as voted by the NHL Players' Association after he finished fourth in the NHL and set a Sharks record last season with 115 points (45 goals, 70 assists) in 82 games. He had a point in 60 games, including at least three 18 times, and he had at least four points five times. Celebrini had 33 power-play points and five game-winning goals to help San Jose finish 39-35-8 with 86 points after it had 20 wins and 52 points in 2024-25.

Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck was second in voting, and Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho was third. 

Hellebuyck made 41 saves for Team USA in the 3-2 overtime win against Canada in the gold medal game at the Olympics and finished with a perfect 5-0-0 record. He was named best goalie and was also named to the All-Star Team.

Aho had six points (four goals, two assists) in six games for Team Finland at the Olympics to help win the bronze. He later won the Stanley Cup with the Hurricanes.

Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, who led all Olympic scorers with 13 points (two goals, 11 assists) in six games for Canada, finished fourth. McDavid led the NHL last season with 138 points (48 goals, 90 assists) in 82 games and won the Ted Lindsay Award.