NFL
Macklin Celebrini.
If you didn’t know this name, you sure will now.
Macklin Celebrini is the new Captain of the San Jose Sharks for the upcoming 2026-2027 season. At just 20, he is now the youngest Captain in franchise history. While a headline in itself, this is hardly his biggest achievement.
Starting at age thirteen, Celebrini would go on to play competitively at the AAA level. He began posting scoring-lead statistics, breaking records, and winning championships. Celebrini continued his momentum at Boston University, earning several honors and becoming the youngest player to win the Hobey Baker Award.
In 2024, the San Jose Sharks selected him as the #1 overall pick. The Sharks had just suffered a heartbreaker of a season, totaling 47 points. It was the lowest total ever in an 82-game season. They finished dead last in the Pacific Division and the Western Conference, but it gave them the number one draft pick: Celebrini.
In the past 12 months alone, Macklin Celebrini has achieved the following:
- Became the youngest NHL player to play for Team Canada at the 2026 Olympics, earning a silver medal.
- This is not his first time representing Team Canada. He has worn the Maple Leaf several times, including at t e 2024 World Junior Championships, the 2025 IIHF World Championships, and when he was
- Named Captain of Team Canada at the 2026 IIHF World Championships.
- He was named IIHF Men’s Player of the Year, 2026 World Championship Best Forward, and made both the Winter Olympics and World Championship All-Star Teams.
- Set the Sharks’ single-season points record with 115 points.
- Named the NHL 27 Cover Athlete, becoming the youngest player and first Shark to do so since Owen Nolan in 2001.
- Signed a $94 million five-year contract with the Sharks ($18.8 million AAV)
And the list goes on and on.
The announcement of Celebrini receiving Captain status has been highly anticipated and met with excitement, with teammates and fans alike in agreement with the decision. Since his 2024 draft, the Sharks have worked hard to build a star-studded team: a young, dynamic core guided by talented veterans. The Sharks certainly have quite a season ahead of them, now led by Macklin Celebrini at the helm.
What other “youngest player” awards will he break in 2026-2027?
Will he lead them back to the playoffs for the first time since 2019?
How many other milestones can he check off on this legendary run?
Keep the Sharks on your radar; this won’t be the last time you’ll see them making history.
