Just when you thought Macklin Celebrini’s sophomore campaign couldn’t get any more impressive, the young Sharks superstar earned one of the most prestigious honors bestowed upon hockey players: representing his country in the Olympics. Celebrini officially was selected to join Team Canada for the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, a distinguished honor for a player at any phase of their hockey career, but especially for a teenager in their second professional season. The 19-year-old joins a star-studded roster that includes the likes of Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon, coincidentally the only two NHL players who have more than the 60 points Celebrini has amassed during the 2025-26 NHL season. Celebrini is fresh off an epic three-point performance in San Jose’s gritty 5-4 win over the Anaheim Ducks on Monday at Honda Center, his NHL-leading 10th such game of the season. Celebrini currently is sitting on 96 points this calendar year, tied with the legendary Steve Yzerman for fourth-most all time by a teenager and trailing only Hall of Famer Dale Hawerchuk, future Hall of Famer Sidney Crosby and the greatest to ever do it, Wayne Gretzky. The honor of representing his country is something Celebrini has been pursuing all his life, as the Sharks superstar opened up about what it would mean to suit up for Team Canada at the Olympics during an interview with NBC Sports California’s Alan Hoshida before the season began. “It’s something I wanted ever since I was a kid,” Celebrini told Hoshida. “I think everyone has a lot of pride in where they come from and their hometown, their country. Getting that opportunity at any stage it just means so much to not only yourself but everyone who has supported you along the way.” When Hoshida asked Celebrini what he believed he would need to do to earn a place on Team Canada, the center said it all starts with his contributions to helping the Sharks win games. “I can’t really control the decisions that they make or what they need for the team or what they need to put on the team to be successful,” Celebrini explained. “I think just for me, helping our team here win some games, contributing the only way I know how and playing my game, I think that’s all I can focus on. I’m focused on what we’re doing here.” That’s exactly what Celebrini has done, as the Sharks already have 19 wins, just one shy of their entire total of 20 from last season. There is no doubt that Celebrini is on a path to greatness, and one day when he looks back at all the accolades he earned throughout his career, he can think back with a smile to the first time he took the ice for his country on the game’s biggest stage. Download and follow the San Jose Hockey Now podcast This story uses functionality that may not work in our app. Click here to open the story in your web browser. ...read more read less