He may be a second-year pro, but nobody can say Macklin Celebrini isn’t carrying himself like a salty veteran.
That much was clear when the San Jose Sharks center met with the local media on Wednesday, his first scrum in the Bay Area since competing for Team Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Celebrini reflected on his first Olympic experience, complimenting the veteran teammates like Connor McDavid he got to play alongside.
The conversation naturally turned to the gold-medal game, which Canada lost to Team USA in overtime 2-1. And, suffice it to say, Celebrini hasn’t let the loss go.
What Macklin Celebrini Said About the Gold Medal Game
Anyone watching the aftermath of the gold-medal game saw Macklin Celebrini’s disappointed face in line to get a silver medal. Apparently, the flight back to the Bay Area hasn’t made that feeling go away.
“We didn’t win, so it’s bitter,” Celebrini told the scrum, via Max Miller of NHL.com. “It’s sour that we didn’t win, and we came that close, especially everything that we kind of fought through. But, I mean, can’t change it now.”
When asked how long he would feel that sour feeling for, the first-time Olympian responded: “Forever.”
Top Takeaways from Macklin Celebrini’s First Olympics
The 19-year-old may be down about not winning a gold medal, but he didn’t leave Milan without making his mark on the 2026 Games.
NHL.com reported that Celebrini, who was the youngest hockey player at these Olympics, “led the entire tournament in goals (five) and shots on goal (28).” He posted 10 points overall in six games, which was second only to McDavid with 13 points.
“[I learned] where the bar is at,” Celebrini said of playing with players like McDavid, via Curtis Pashelka of the San Jose Mercury News. “Those guys play with such pace, and they think the game so fast. The level that they play at, the practice that they play at. Probably the fastest practices I’ve ever been a part of. Just being around them, practicing with them, playing with them. It’s on a different level.”
McDavid won MVP honors for the tournament despite Canada’s loss in the gold-medal game, thanks to his record-setting points tally. One of those points was used to set up Celebrini for a goal against Czechia.
Macklin Celebrini’s Second Sharks Season
With the Winter Games in the rearview, Celebrini returns to his post as one of the most dangerous young stars in the NHL.
Celebrini leads the Sharks in points (81), goals (28), assists (53), and plus-minus (+10). His 81 points rank fourth among all skaters in the league. He is also a heavy contender to win the Hart Trophy at the end of the season, with his Team Canada teammates McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon leading the chase.
That elevated play is also one of the reasons the Sharks are having their best season since 2019. San Jose is in the midst of a six-year playoff drought and has failed to play above .500 hockey since before the pandemic. Now, the Sharks return from the Olympic break just a few points out of a wild-card spot in the Western Conference standings.
With any luck, getting his team back to the playoffs will help Celebrini think less about the sour ending to his first Winter Olympics.
Sharks Star Macklin Celebrini Still Sour Over Olympic Silver