Macklin Celebrini was officially named to Team Canada’s Olympic roster on Wednesday, and San Jose Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky did nothing but praise his superstar.
Celebirni is the youngest NHL player ever to be named to a Canadian Olympic roster. The Sharks star is firmly in the MVP race. Team Canada GM Doug Armstrong told reporters after the announcement that Celebrini was one of the top 12 players Canada considered “core.”
“I think it started probably over the summer. He had a really good summer of training; we saw that when he came to camp. He was in even better shape than he was last year, which is to say, a lot,” Warsofsky said. “Looked like he got stronger. Looked like he was on a mission from day one of training camp. When the season started, he just kept getting better and better.”
Celebrini has taken on a leadership role that has grown throughout the season. The Sharks center wears an “A” on his jersey for home games, but drags his team into the fight of every game.
“I think he’s done a really good job of coming into his own, of who he’s going to become as a leader,” Warsofsky said after practice on Tuesday. “That has to happen organically. We can guide him, in a sense, but I want him to be himself and lead in the way he thinks he should lead and believes in.
His body language is something that we talked about last year. He gets frustrated. And I get it. Listen, I’m very emotional as well. You get frustrated. It is what it is. We’re human beings. But he’s done a really good job of controlling that and channeling that. He’s really stepped up his game in every area.”
Celebrini spent the summer training with Team Canada teammates Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon. He played on Crosby’s World Championships win and learned a lot from the future Hall of Famer.
“He learns from those guys. Training with them, playing at World Championships, that’s valuable experience,” Warsofsky said. “He’s a very driven kid, like we’ve talked about. Being around those guys, he fits in really well.”
The San Jose Sharks centerman could play a top-six forward role for Team Canada. While he likely won’t play center, his work ethic and drive make him a perfect candidate to play alongside Crosby or even Connor McDavid.
“The way he plays a 200-foot game. The way he defends, the way he competes for pucks, how physical he is. That’s what probably set him apart,” Warsofsky said.
“Mack is pretty mature for his age. As far as being where his feet are, it is one of the most impressive things about him. This is a pretty high achievement to be selected for this team. I don’t think this is going to change anything that’s going to happen today; he’s going to be focused on helping this team win a hockey game.”
The San Jose Sharks take on the Minnesota Wild, who are 8-1-1 in their last ten games, in their final game of 2025.
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