Macklin Celebrini may not have won the 2025 Calder Trophy, but the San Jose Sharks franchise center is still on a path to become an all-time great.
Yes, it has only been one season in the NHL for the 2024 No. 1 pick, but his competitiveness and drive to win show what he’s made of. All the center has cared about is winning. Visible frustration surrounded Celebrini after many Sharks losses, but in a good way.
Even during the preseason, Celebrini had the mindset of creating a winning culture for the San Jose Sharks.
Winning for Celebrini is all about his team and not the individual awards. While the centerman likely would’ve loved to win the Calder Trophy, the ultimate goal of becoming a Stanley Cup Champion is all that is on his mind.
While the Sharks were going through a tough 1-9-1 stretch in December, Celebrini told reporters that he just wanted to stop losing. The rookie had four goals and eight assists during that time.
“I don’t really know. It’s cool for the outside people [who] look at it and compare it, but I just want to stop losing,” Celebrini said about the Calder trophy in December 2024. “I just want to keep playing the way I’m playing. That doesn’t really affect anything I do.”
Sharks didn’t need Celebrini to win the Calder to understand his potential for greatness
Celebrini’s season got derailed early as he missed 12 games due to a hip injury. The San Jose Sharks’ No. 1 center might’ve been able to put a better resume for the Calder if he didn’t miss those games.
He’s not the only No. 1 pick to suffer an injury during a rookie season and lose out on the Calder Trophy. Edmonton Oilers captain and the NHL’s best player, Connor McDavid, finished third in Calder voting in 2015. Like McDavid, Celebrini finished third in voting.
McDavid played just 45 games in his rookie season, but made such an impact that he still received 25 first-place votes. The Oilers star scored one of the greatest goals of his career in the first game after suffering a broken clavicle.
San Jose Sharks broadcaster Drew Remenda was on the call for Sportsnet and was left speechless.
“All I can say is absolutely wow. This is. I’ve got no words,” Remenda said on air.
That goal was just the sixth of McDavid’s career.
While the San Jose Sharks certainly hope Macklin Celebrini can become Connor McDavid, he doesn’t project to be. That isn’t a slight on Celebrini, McDavid is just that good and plays a different style.
A better comparison for Celebrini would be his hockey idol, Sidney Crosby. Celebrini just spent an entire IIHF World Championship as Crosby’s linemate. Crosby, by the way, also didn’t win the Calder Trophy.
With one year in the books, Macklin Celebrini has all the tools to become one of the greatest players in San Jose Sharks franchise history, even without the Calder Trophy.
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