STOCKHOLM -- Macklin Celebrini has a hunger to play in big games for the San Jose Sharks. In the meantime, he’s getting a taste at the 2025 IIHF World Championship.
The 18-year-old center, who had 63 points (25 goals, 38 assists) in 70 games and is a finalist for the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie alongside Calgary Flames goalie Dustin Wolf and Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson, is skating with the likes of Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby and Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon at the international tournament for Canada.
"Just being around those kinds of players and people every day, you can't do anything but learn from them and get better," Celebrini said. "I mean, it's cool building that relationship with them. For most of them, they're players that I looked up to when I was younger and guys that I watched and try to learn from on the TV, but now getting to know them and play with them, it's cool."
The No. 1 pick by the Sharks at the 2024 NHL Draft, Celebrini said he’s eager to see how the Sharks continue to build heading into next season. He believes a foundation has been set and some key additions will help the already-established young core.
"I think we need to continue to build the chemistry, building what we have, and also adding some pieces would help," Celebrini said. "I think [it’s] just getting some guys to play with and as a whole growing together and just building what we have there."
The Sharks (20-50-12) finished last in the NHL with 52 points, 44 behind the St. Louis Blues for the second will card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference. They will have the No. 2 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft after the New York Islanders won the lottery on May 5.
It's the second straight season the Sharks have been at the bottom of the League after finishing with 47 points (19-54-9) in 2023-24. They have failed to qualify for the playoffs in six straight seasons after four consecutive appearances and a run of 14 in 15. San Jose most recently qualified in 2018-19, when they reached the Western Conference Final, losing to St. Louis in six games.
The Sharks averaged 2.54 goals per game this season, the fewest in the League, and allowed 3.78 per game, the most in the NHL.
"I think there's a lot of stuff we can work on," said forward Will Smith, the No. 4 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. "We've got a great young group and they're all great guys and fun to be around off the ice, but on the ice we work together well. I think we'll definitely be picking it up, and next year will be fun."
Smith, who had 45 points (18 goals, 27 assists) in 74 games as a rookie this season, is playing with Team USA alongside the likes of forwards Clayton Keller (Utah Mammoth) and Tage Thompson (Buffalo Sabres), and defenseman Zach Werenski (Columbus Blue Jackets).
"It's really big," Smith said. "The goal is to be in the playoffs for the Sharks. This is obviously big playing more hockey after the season in big games and big environments. It does nothing but help and gets me ready to go."
Ryan Warsofsky, who just completed his first season as Sharks coach and is coaching the U.S. at the tournament, is confident each will absorb this learning experience both for themselves and their teammates next season in San Jose.
"Mack is with Canada playing with Crosby and McKinnon," Warsofsky said. "I think that's a great influence for him. Will is playing with some really good players at a high pace in meaningful games, which he really hasn't done since really Boston College and World Juniors.
“Individually we have guys here, and I think it's important that we get that feeling back of playing meaningful games. I think that's the next step in our organization's process is going into next season we have to start taking that step. It's been a tough three years here. We've started coming out of the hole here a little bit with some really good young talent. Now the next step is putting in a winning foundation and winning habits and getting into those meaningful games.
“… We have to start winning some hockey games and start playing in some meaningful hockey games. I said before the year it was to get some respect back in the National Hockey League. I thought we did a pretty good job of that. Is it totally there yet? Probably not yet, but we have to continue to push forward and take that next step. Some players need to take the next step and have the understanding that we're not OK losing. That's the culture we're trying to drive, and where we're at in this wave of the next step."
