In his sophomore season, Celebrini has excelled beyond all expectations. As of right now, he is fifth in the league for points (95, 35 goals and 60 assists) behind some of the established greats like Connor McDavid (114 points) and Nathan MacKinnon (110 points). To add to that, he has somehow managed to single-handedly drag the San Jose Sharks towards a playoff spot when they were sitting at the bottom of the league last year. He has also had success on an international stage. In the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics, he ranked second among all point scorers with 10 points in 6 games, and he was certainly an asset to team Canada, though they did not win gold.
But what really draws attention to Celebrini is not his stats—it’s his personality. Known for his off-ice antics along with his best friend and teammate Will Smith, he serves as a reminder to young and old athletes why they play. Above all, sport is supposed to be fun. Unfortunately for many players, it has become a major stressor and, according to Mass General Brigham, can lead to depression, self-worth issues, and eating disorders, among other things. Players, especially talented ones, feel a lot of pressure to perform, which makes the game more of a demonstration of skill than something enjoyable.
The Sharks as a whole are a team that combats this perspective. Many of their players are young (sometimes affectionately known as “The Baby Sharks”), and they bring a positive energy along with them. Even when they lose, the team has a blast. As many NHL podcasters concluded last year, they may have been the worst team in the league, but they were having the most fun. There are video clips from practice where Celebrini is riding the quad bike that belongs to the Shark’s mascot S.J. Sharkie, a particularly abnormal sight for an NHL team. The Sharks are almost always laughing, and a lot of that is due to the Macklin Celebrini effect.
Following Macklin is a laundry list of chaotic stories. The most iconic of which was when he and Smith made their older veteran teammate Tyler Toffoli have a sleepover with them in their hotel room. The incident went viral after the younger players posted a picture of Toffoli on a cot while they lounged on the two beds. It seems almost every week there is a new story about Macklin and Will doing something stupid and hilarious.
To the players, their jokes are a way of team bonding. To the fans, they’re a source of entertainment. To athletes, however, these funny anecdotes are a reminder of how playing a sport is supposed to be. It’s not meant to be an anxiety-inducing experience that weighs down on mental health; it’s meant to be a means of enjoying life and connections with other people while engaging in competition.
If anything, Celebrini emphasizes that a player can be great and can have fun. So often, the best athletes are serious and feel pressure to demonstrate their commitment through a constant focused state. However, it is mentally important to let loose and just live for anyone in any profession. Being both a goofball and a dedicated athlete is healthy, and having a demonstration of that in a major league like the NHL is beneficial to all aspiring players.
