A record-setting promotion
Macklin Celebrini was named captain of the San Jose Sharks on Friday, becoming the youngest captain in franchise history and the youngest active captain in the NHL. At 20 years and 104 days old, he is also the seventh-youngest captain in league history. The Sharks had been without a captain since Logan Couture announced his retirement on April 15, 2025. Celebrini is the 11th full-time captain in San Jose history, following Couture, who held the role in 2024-25.[S1][S2]
The announcement came after practice, when former Sharks captain Joe Thornton presented Celebrini with his No. 71 jersey. Thornton praised Celebrini's importance to the team and the Bay Area before inviting him to the podium. General manager Mike Grier also spoke, telling Celebrini that his hard work and leadership during training camp, including double shifts, had pushed the group and made the honor well deserved.[S1]
A breakout career and a record contract
Celebrini's rise has been rapid. The No. 1 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft finished fourth in league scoring last season, his second in the NHL, with 115 points (45 goals, 70 assists) in 82 games. That total broke Joe Thornton's single-season franchise record. Over two NHL seasons, Celebrini has 178 points (70 goals, 108 assists) in 152 regular-season games. He was also a finalist for the Ted Lindsay Award and finished fourth in Hart Trophy voting as a 19-year-old.[S1][S2]
In July, Celebrini signed a five-year, $94 million contract extension with an average annual value of $18.8 million. At the time, it was an NHL-record AAV until Cale Makar signed an eight-year, $163.2 million deal ($20.4 million AAV) with the Colorado Avalanche on Aug. 28. Grier said the Sharks wanted Celebrini to feel valued and compensated fairly, calling him the best young player in the league in their eyes, and noted that Celebrini was willing to take a little less to give the team roster flexibility.[S1]
International experience and what comes next
Celebrini's offseason also included international duty. He played for Team Canada at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics, recording 10 points (five goals, five assists) in six games. In May, he captained Canada at the 2026 IIHF World Hockey Championship in Zurich and Fribourg, Switzerland, where he had 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in 10 games. Canada finished fourth after losing the bronze-medal game 3-2 in overtime to Norway. In July, Celebrini was named IIHF Male Player of the Year and was revealed as the cover athlete for EA Sports NHL 27.[S1]
Celebrini served as an alternate captain for San Jose last season. The Sharks are aiming to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2018-19, and they open the season at home against the Florida Panthers on Oct. 1. Five other NHL teams currently do not have a captain: the Boston Bruins, Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, Ottawa Senators and Vancouver Canucks. Celebrini said on Aug. 27 that he still has a lot of room to grow in his game and off the ice, and that he hopes to grow into a leader for the team, crediting the veteran group for guiding the younger players.[S1][S2]
