‘Easy to follow’: Macklin Celebrini navigating 1st season as San Jose Sharks captain

Barclay Goodrow saw the signs long before it became official.

Macklin Celebrini walked into the San Jose Sharks’ locker room in September 2024 as the No. 1 pick at the NHL draft.

The talent and potential were clear as soon as he stepped on the ice. It also didn’t take long for veteran teammates to realize the workhorse centre had the “it” factor in another key area.

“Ever since halfway through his first year, he’s been the leader of this team,” said Goodrow, a 33-year-old forward with two Stanley Cup rings. “It just comes natural … you could see him slowly gaining his voice.”

The Sharks named Celebrini their 11th full-time captain last month after putting pen to paper in July on a five-year, US$94-million contract extension that kicks in next season and carries an $18.8 million average annual value.

If there was even minuscule doubt regarding his face-of-the-franchise status, that’s been completely washed away.

The 20-year-old also has plenty of support from a group of battle-tested NHLers led by Goodrow, Tyler Toffoli, Jacob Trouba, Dmitry Orlov and Darnell Nurse as he navigates his first season with the “C” stitched to his jersey.

“So many great veterans,” said Celebrini, who headlines a young core that includes Will Smith, Michael Misa and Ivar Stenberg. “Guys that all of us are learning from and asking questions of. Having their experience and having their guidance, it just makes it all so easy.”

Not much has been easy for the Sharks in recent years.

San Jose missed the playoffs the last seven seasons, but a roster led by Celebrini, who finished fourth in NHL scoring in 2025-26, is looking to break through with its talisman from North Vancouver, B.C. — the league’s youngest current captain — setting the tone after the team’s 86-point campaign fell short last spring.

“A leader by the way he works and prepares,” head coach Ryan Warsofsky said of Celebrini. “He’s got more comfortable in being who he is and leading his own way. That’s something that we just felt really comfortable with.

“He’s grown quite a bit on and off the ice … and the time’s now.”

A free-agent addition over the summer, Trouba said the way Celebrini carries himself has impressed.

“He’s not running around screaming or telling everybody what to do,” said the 32-year-old defenceman. “It’s just how he works in practice, how he works in games. He’s not hard to gravitate toward.”

Celebrini, who finished second behind Connor McDavid with 10 points in six games as part of Canada’s silver-medal showing at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics on a star-studded roster accented by Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon, is also a realist.

The Sharks sit 5-4-1 thanks to a start that has seen blown leads, and all five of their victories requiring overtime, including Tuesday’s extra-time decision over the Montreal Canadiens, where Celebrini bagged the winner.

“There’s sweet and sour,” he said. “Could be better, could be worse, but there’s a lot of stuff we still need to build on, and that only shows just how much potential our group has.”

And when Celebrini speaks — just two seasons and 10 games into his NHL career — the Sharks listen.

“Something that comes naturally to him,” Goodrow said. “Age, when it comes to that, it’s just numbers. It helps that he’s the hardest-working guy on our team. It’s easy to follow.”

DIFFERENT SITUATIONS

Celebrini trained with Toronto rookie winger Gavin McKenna, who was selected No. 1 overall in June, for a stretch during the off-season.

The Sharks were in a clear rebuild when Celebrini arrived on the scene, which provided him the low-pressure opportunity to make mistakes and find his way with plenty of ice time in all situations.

The Maple Leafs, meanwhile, are desperate to get back in the playoffs.

McKenna played less than seven minutes in a game last week, but the 18-year-old still has three goals and three assists in 11 contests to begin his professional career alongside the likes of Auston Matthews and William Nylander.

“It’s just different,” Celebrini said when comparing the situations. “We had 20 wins our first year, so that’s not fun, and no one’s enjoying that. On (the Toronto) side, I think it’s tough, especially with the attention that he’s getting.

“But over time, just being on a winning team and being surrounded by that kind of talent, it’ll only help. ”

FAST START

McDavid is back filling the opposition net to open the schedule, with the Edmonton Oilers captain putting up a jaw-dropping 26 points (six goals, 20 assists) through nine games after reaching 138 last season. His career high is 153 points, set in 2022-23.

Wayne Gretzky registered four 200-plus point campaigns — the only NHL player to crack that number — including a record-setting 215 in 1985-86.

It’s still early, but McDavid is on pace to reach 242 in 2026-27.

“If there’s one guy that can do it, it’s him,” Celebrini said of cracking 200 points. “I wouldn’t be surprised.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 21, 2026.

Joshua Clipperton, The Canadian Press