Forward Macklin Celebrini (47) carries the puck during the San Jose Sharks prospect practice match at Tech CU Arena in San Jose, California on July 4, 2024. (Photo by Kavin Mistry/NHLI via Getty Images)
SAN JOSE — It remains to be seen whether Macklin Celebrini will turn professional, join the NHL and play for the San Jose Sharks this season.
But Celebrini's impact on the Sharks' team is already evident, as evidenced by the roughly 3,000 people who showed up to a daytime scrimmage at Tech-CU Arena on a national holiday, paying to see Celebrini play against other San Jose prospects.
“I thought the crowd was pretty good last year,” said defenseman Eric Polkamp, who was drafted in the fifth round last year, “but it could have been better this year.”
“He's brought a lot of energy to the San Jose Sharks organization,” said Todd Merchant, the Sharks' director of Celebrini player development. “It's been a tough couple of years, but he's like, 'Oh, I see a little bit of light at the end of the tunnel,' and the light is starting to shine.”
The crowd cheers for Celebrini pic.twitter.com/XK3LqM2Ocg
— Curtis Pashelka (@CurtisPashelka) July 4, 2024
Celebrini, who turned 18 just three weeks ago, said Tuesday, four days after being drafted first overall, that he plans to decide soon whether to turn pro or return to Boston College for his sophomore season. But the past three days have made it clear just how much Sharks fans are eager to see him play.
Celebrini signed dozens of autographs after development camp practices this week and again Tuesday at Excite Stadium against the San Jose Giants, where fellow prospect Will Smith threw out the first pitch.
“Mac just floated it in. I admired Smitty's effort a little bit,” said a straight-faced forward, Quentin Mustey, who was drafted by the Sharks in the first round along with Smith last year. “It went down on the ground. Maybe he could have swung at that ball. You never know what's going to happen.”
Thursday's scrimmage included six of the Sharks' first-round draft picks — Celebrini, Smith, Masutti, Philip Bystedt and Sam Dickenson — as well as forward David Edstrom, who was selected 32nd overall by Las Vegas last year and acquired in the trade that sent Tomas Hertl to the Golden Knights in March.
As the players were introduced one-on-one before the scrimmage on Thursday, Celebrini predictably received the loudest applause.
“It's great. Obviously there's a lot of excitement around here,” Celebrini said. “We've got a lot of young guys in the locker room and we're all growing together here, so it's a very exciting time and I'm excited to see what the future holds.”
There was drama in Thursday's training match, and Celebrini was at the center of it all.
Celebrini's team, Team White, was trailing by three points with just under three minutes left in the final period. With Celebrini running the engine and on the ice nearly the entire time, Team White scored three straight points, with Vancouver native Pohlkamp one-touching a pass from Celebrini to score the tying goal with just seconds left.
A one-timer from Polkamp after a pass from Celebrini tied the score at 7-7. pic.twitter.com/nQbzmcI7St
— Curtis Pashelka (@CurtisPashelka) July 4, 2024
It was a familiar sight for Merchant, who watched Celebrini star for Canada in the quarterfinals of the World Junior Championships earlier this year.
“They ended up losing the game, but it was like, 'Here we go. Follow me.' And you saw that today,” Merchant said. “He didn't want to get off the ice. Why would you take him off the ice in the first place? He didn't want to get off. He wanted to be a part of the process. This is a scrimmage in July, development camp, but he wanted to be a part of the process. I love guys who want to play in big situations.”
“You want players who like responsibility and pressure because they like it, and he's definitely one of those guys.”
Celebrini is still far from a finished product, but Merchant was asked if she was ready to turn professional.
While Merchant didn't directly say yes or no, we know that Celebrini possesses rare ability and maturity beyond his years.
“He's a special player. He's a special person,” Merchant said of Celebrini. “Hockey aside, I just like the way he carries himself. He's confident, he's not cocky, he carries himself with class, and I think that resonates with the team.”
“The rest of the group will want to be with him and follow him.”
Between the draft lottery, the combine and the draft itself at the Sphere in Las Vegas, Celebrini seems ready to slow down a bit to determine what happens next, but for now, he feels pretty comfortable in San Jose and wearing a Sharks jersey.
“It's something I'll never forget,” Celebrini said of the past few weeks, “but I've gotten over it and now I'm just ready to work towards my goals and continue to grow with these teammates.”
Contracted players: The Sharks currently have at least two restricted free agents under contract, signing both Ty Dellandrea and Carl Grundstrom to two-year extensions. Grundstrom's contract is worth $3.6 million, with an average salary of $1.8 million, and he will become an unrestricted free agent. The Sharks acquired the 26-year-old Grundstrom from the Los Angeles Kings last week in exchange for defenseman Kyle Burrows.
Dellandrea's contract is worth $2.6 million with an average annual salary of $1.3 million. At the end of the contract, Dellandrea will become a restricted free agent and will have arbitration rights. Dellandrea was acquired from the Dallas Stars on June 19 in exchange for a 2025 fourth-round draft pick originally owned by the Winnipeg Jets.
Dellandrea, a first-round draft pick by the Stars in 2018, turns 24 on July 21. He just finished a one-year, $900,000 contract.
