STOCKHOLM — Nathan MacKinnon has no notes for Macklin Celebrini.
The Colorado Avalanche forward said that the 18-year-old San Jose Sharks forward and No. 1 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft has already taken the next step in his hockey journey after 70 games in the League.
“I have no advice for him,” MacKinnon, the No. 1 pick in the 2013 NHL Draft, said from the 2025 IIHF World Championship. “He’s a pro. He is miles ahead of where I was at 18, mentally. I think his dad has given him a lot of knowledge, you know, put him in a great spot. Obviously, he was raised great, too. He’s a great kid. He’s dominating. He’s standing out with a lot of older players. I think with a good first half he’s going to have a really good chance at the Olympic team. Really impressed with him.
“He’s amazing. He is so mature for an 18-year-old, such a great attitude. Super happy. I can tell how hard he works. He has a bright future.”
Celebrini, whose father, Rick is vice president of player health and performance for the Golden State Warriors in the NBA, is a finalist for the 2025 Calder Trophy given annually to the top rookie in the NHL as voted by the Professional Hockey Writers Association, with Calgary Flames goalie Dustin Wolf and Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson. He had 63 points (25 goals, 38 assists) for the Sharks this season, and six points (three goals, three assists) in seven round-robin games at Worlds, helping Canada to first place in Group A while skating primarily on the left wing of Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby.
The experience has helped Celebrini, a native of North Vancouver, accelerate his development.
“It’s everything,” Celebrini said. “It’s just being around them. Playing with them. Going to dinner with them. Everything. I think playing with some of the best players in the world and getting to learn from them and talk to them and watch how they approach the game and do things … that’s something I don’t take for granted and something that definitely contributes to that (next step).
“It’s been great. I’ve been having a lot of fun. I’m really enjoying the group and the team we have.”
Celebrini is learning by osmosis. He’s also just as likely to take the hands-on approach.
“Ultra-competitive and extremely self-driven,” said Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky, who’s coaching the United States at Worlds. “He’s not a guy you have to poke and prod. He’s got it all over his DNA. Leadership capabilities. He’s a special, special young man.
“He’s the type of guy that you want him to marry your daughter, and then when you put him on the ice, he’s the ultra-competitor and he wants to run you right through the wall. I thought he had a really good year and, in my opinion, should be rookie of the year. What he did as an 18-year-old on our team every single night was drag guys into the fight.
“I give him a lot of credit, and he’ll continue to get better and develop, but what surprised me the most was his ultra-competitiveness and his self-drive to be the best player on the ice.”
The Sharks (20-50-12) finished last in the NHL with 52 points, 44 behind the St. Louis Blues for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference, and will have the No. 2 pick in the 2025 NHL Draft after the New York Islanders won the draft lottery May 5. Celebrini’s opportunity to learn from Crosby and MacKinnon should help boost San Jose’s chances next season.
“It’s exciting, right?” Warsofsky said. “You learn from the best. Obviously, Sid’s been a captain in this league and has won in this league. MacKinnon has won in this league. You can go up and down that (Canada) lineup with older guys that know how to play in certain situations. I’m hoping Mack picks up some things on these guys.”
Together, Crosby and MacKinnon helped Canada win the 4 Nations Face-Off in February. Individually, MacKinnon was MVP of the tournament, helped Colorado to the Stanley Cup in 2022, and two years later won the Hart Trophy voted as the League’s most valuable player and Ted Lindsay Award, presented annually “to the most outstanding player as voted by fellow members of the NHLPA.” He won the 2014 Calder Trophy, the Lady Byng for sportsmanship and gentlemanly conduct in 2020, when he was Hart runner-up for the second time (2018), and was third runner-up for the Hart in 2021.
Crosby won the Stanley Cup in 2009, 2016 and 2017, is a two-time Conn Smythe Trophy winner as playoff MVP (2016, 2017), two-time Olympic gold medalist (2010, 2014), World Cup winner in 2016, two-time Art Ross Trophy winner as the League’s top scorer (2007, 2014), three-time Ted Lindsay Award winner (2007, 2013, 2014) and seven-time Hart Trophy finalist, winning in 2007 and 2014.
It’d be tough for Celebrini to find a better pair to apprentice under, though he doesn’t really need it, said one No. 1 about the other.
“I don’t really have much advice,” said Crosby, chosen first in the 2005 NHL Draft. “He’s handled it pretty well. He’s mature. He loves the game. Loves to compete. He cares about every facet of the game on both sides of the puck. With experience, obviously everything gets a little bit easier. You can’t really fast-track that. I think he’s on the right track.
“He probably doesn’t need to hear too much from me.”
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