SAN JOSE – Macklin Celebrini returned to the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday after an intense Olympic run, stepping into a media frenzy that highlighted his rising prominence in the hockey world. His standout performance at the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics has placed Celebrini firmly in the spotlight as the Sharks prepare for a crucial homestand.
Increased Media Attention Highlights Celebrini’s Rising Profile
Upon completing his first practice since returning from Italy, Celebrini entered a room crowded with cameras and journalists, marking one of the busiest media days the Sharks have experienced.
“Starting to feel like a Canadian market,”
Celebrini remarked, reflecting on the surge in coverage. This attention comes as no surprise following his record-breaking showing at the Olympics, which culminated in a gold medal game watched by tens of millions.
About a dozen news organizations were present during the Sharks’ Wednesday practice—well above the usual turnout. Some local media were attending a Sharks practice for the first time this season, underscoring the growing relevance of both the team and Celebrini as a prominent Bay Area sports figure.
The increased interest is mirrored by ticket demand, with Thursday’s game against the Calgary Flames expected to bring a near sellout crowd of 17,435 at the SAP Center. Similarly, weekend matches against Connor McDavid’s Edmonton Oilers and goalie Connor Hellebuyck’s Winnipeg Jets are drawing high-priced, scarce tickets. This season sees the Sharks already sold out for 12 of 26 home games, surpassing last year’s attendance figures.
Sharks Coach Comments on Renewed Energy Around the Team
Sharks coach Ryan Warsofsky acknowledged the media surge was not the goal itself but a symptom of revitalized excitement surrounding the team.
“Not to talk to this many media people, but the goal was to get the energy back in the building and get people talking about the Sharks again, and I think the players did a great job of doing that,”
Warsofsky said.
He added optimism about the upcoming homestand, saying,
“This homestand is going to be pretty much sold out. Crowds and people are going to be excited to see our team play again.”
Celebrini Reflects on Olympic Experience and Lingering Disappointment
Despite his enthusiasm to return to San Jose, Celebrini expressed lingering disappointments about how the Olympic tournament concluded. Playing with hockey’s greatest players, including compatriot Connor McDavid, Celebrini led the tournament with five goals in six games and amassed 10 points, becoming the highest-scoring teenager in an NHL-player Olympic tournament.
Though proud to represent Canada on the world stage, Celebrini remains haunted by the narrow loss in the gold medal game against the United States. The dramatic 3-on-3 overtime showdown ended with New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes scoring the decisive goal, securing the Americans’ first men’s Olympic hockey gold since 1980.
Celebrini admitted the soreness of the loss remains fresh:
“A lot of those guys I looked up to my whole childhood, and it was an honor play with them and be around them every single day,”
he said at Sharks Ice.
“But it sucks. It’s a little sour that you look back at it and just didn’t get the job done.”
When asked how long the feeling of disappointment would last, he answered simply, “Forever.”
Olympic Experience Fuels Team’s Playoff Push
The Sharks now look to other Olympians on their roster—Sweden’s Alex Wennberg, Switzerland’s Philipp Kurashev, and Slovakia’s Pavol Regenda—to channel their Olympic pressures and shortcomings into motivation as the postseason approaches. With 27 games remaining, the team found itself five points outside a playoff spot entering the homestand.
Celebrini credits playing alongside the NHL’s top scorers – McDavid and Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon – with raising his own game.
“Those guys play with such pace, and they think the game so fast, and the level that they play at, the practice that they play at, probably the fastest practices I’ve ever been a part of,”
he said.
“Just being around them, practicing with them, playing with them, it’s a different level.”
This exposure sets a clear benchmark for where Celebrini aims to be.
Season Performance Fuels Sharks’ Playoff Ambitions
Celebrini’s impact on the ice this season is evident, with 81 points in 55 games helping bolster the Sharks’ playoff contention for the first time since 2019. His drive to meet escalating expectations was clear:
“We want to take those next steps, and all this comes along with it,”
Celebrini said.
“The fans, the attention. We want those expectations. We want that pressure, because that means we’re doing a good thing and we’re trending the right way.”
“So I think just at the end of the day, all this comes into it, and hopefully you guys come back more.”
