NHLer Macklin Celebrini set to play key Olympic role for Canadian men: 'It’s no fluke'

Macklin Celebrini knows the puck bounced his way.

Set to become the youngest player to ever suit up for Canada at an Olympic event involving NHL players, the 19-year-old had to wait just 125 professional games before stepping onto sports' biggest stage.

Many of his teammates, battle-tested veterans with Stanley Cup rings, MVP awards and scoring titles, didn't know if their own moment would ever arrive.

The league, however, is finally back in the international spotlight at the Milan-Cortina Winter Games following a 12-year ice age. And Celebrini is a peach-fuzzed beneficiary.

"I'm super grateful," said the centre from North Vancouver, B.C. "Lucky to be in this spot."

The NHL stayed away from the 2018 Olympics due to financial considerations before the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered plans that were far down the road for a return in 2022.

"It's tough that a [lot] of these guys haven't been able to get this opportunity when they should have," Celebrini said. "I'm just blessed and honoured."

Celebrini also belongs.

The San Jose Sharks forward has practised twice on Connor McDavid's wing — Canada held a closed session Monday, but head coach Jon Cooper said the combinations from Sunday's night skate remained intact — with a hulking Tom Wilson patrolling the other flank.

"He may be 19 years old, like, his physical body is, but his acumen for the game is not," Cooper said of Celebrini, the player selected No. 1 overall at the 2024 NHL draft. "He's wise beyond his years. I can't sit here and look at him as this kid; hell of a hockey player."

Celebrini sits fourth in league scoring in his sophomore season with 81 points, 42 more than the next-closest Sharks player, while the 53 assists he's registered through 55 games is