Celebrini of Sharks eying 'huge honor' of Olympic roster spot with Canada

TORONTO -- Macklin Celebrini admits the prospect of playing for Team Canada at the upcoming Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 was on his radar dating back to this past offseason.

Of course, being a 19-year-old entering his second NHL season, the San Jose Sharks center wasn’t sure just how realistic that target was.

Now, 31 games into the 2025-26 regular season, he’s definitely caught the attention of Team Canada’s management team, given that he was third in League with 43 points (15 goals, 28 assists) entering Wednesday.

“I mean, for sure, in the summer, yeah,” he said Wednesday, having just finished practice in preparation for San Jose’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs here on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; TSN4, NBCSCA). “That’s a goal.

"It's a dream of every kid who grows up in Canada. Right when the season started that wasn't really my focus; it's still not my focus [because I] can't really control what they decide or what they do.

“But being on that team would be a huge honor.”

Team Canada management just completed three days of meetings in Florida to whittle down its lists of potential candidates from 40-something to 30. Full 25-man rosters for the participating teams must be submitted by Dec. 31.

When asked Sunday by NHL.com for his take on the roster bids being made by Celebrini and 20-year-old Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard, Team Canada general manager Doug Armstrong replied, “Very impressed by it. But I wouldn’t say surprised.”

Informed of Armstrong’s comments, the humble Celebrini grinned sheepishly and said: “Yeah, that means a lot, yeah.”

Explore NHL.com's Coverage of the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026

So, for that matter, have the relationships he’s been able to forge with Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby and Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, two of the six players already named to the Team Canada roster in June.

Celebrini had the chance to play on the same team with Crosby and MacKinnon while representing Canada at the 2025 IIHF World Championship in May. He said it was an experience that helped his development both on and off the ice.

“I mean, that was awesome,” he said. “They were so great to me. Just being around them, two legends, two (future) Hall of Famers, seeing how they carry themselves, how they approach every day.

“They were two guys I looked up to growing up, so it was pretty cool.”

Celebrini, who finished the tournament with six points (three goals, three assists) in eight games and was an impressive plus-9, then traveled to Nova Scotia to skate with MacKinnon and Crosby a couple of months later.

“It was great,” he said, adding that Sharks teammate Will Smith and Columbus Blue Jackets forward Adam Fantilli also took part. “Just skating. They were great skates.”

In the end, Crosby was impressed by what he saw from the teenager.

“He’s a guy that has a real passion for it,” Crosby said last month. “He works probably as hard as anybody and, probably, with his age, I think fast-tracking the learning curve for him. So, you could see right from last year how he got better as the season went on.

“At Worlds, it was pretty clear to see [him] almost taking another step there. This year, with the way he’s starting, seems to be the same, so I think he’s definitely somebody that’s earned a lot of attention for good reason. And, you know, we’ll see.

“But he’s definitely playing some great hockey now.”

Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky, who held the same position with Team USA en route to winning gold at the Worlds, couldn’t agree more. As such, he said the influence of Crosby and MacKinnon on Celebrini is noticeable.

“We were in different cities (at the Worlds),” Warsofsky said. “But talking to the Team Canada coaches, they were very impressed at seeing it firsthand.”

Warsofsky was asked who Celebrini reminds him of.

“I know in this day and age we always want to compare everyone to someone else,” he said. “I think Macklin Celebrini resembles Macklin Celebrini.

“I think he’s got a little bit of everyone in him. I’ve never coached Sid, but talking to [former Penguins coach Mike Sullivan], I think he’s got the same different aspects you bring as a leader and a player. I think he’s got a bit of Nate MacKinnon in him when it comes to the competitiveness.

“Again, he’s got a little bit of everyone in him. But at the end of the day, ‘Mack’ is Mack and we’re just going to let him be that.”

One thing is certain: Don’t mistake Celebrini’s soft-spoken nature as a lack of confidence.

“I believe in myself,” he said. “I believe in what I can do, and I believe in the work I put in.

“So I can’t say I’m surprised [at my success] or feel any other way.”