McDavid Reacts to Celebrini’s First Olympic Goal for Canada
If someone asks me why I watch the Edmonton Oilers, I think of Connor McDavid. And if they wonder why I keep an eye on the San Jose Sharks—of all teams—I only need one name: Macklin Celebrini. Today was one of those days where both worlds meet in a way that makes following hockey feel fun again.
Celebrini made Olympic history for Team Canada.
Celebrini made his Olympic debut for Team Canada and looked like he’d been waiting for this moment his whole life. Nineteen years old, first game on the biggest stage you can play on, and he ends the first period by tipping home a Cale Makar point shot with 5.7 seconds left. Just like that, he becomes the youngest Canadian NHLer ever to score an Olympic goal. That’s not just a “nice moment”—that’s stepping straight into the history books before you’ve even figured out the athletes’ village cafeteria.
And this isn’t some surprise out-of-nowhere performance. Celebrini has been piling up milestones all season in San Jose. He tied Sidney Crosby’s record for teenage points before Christmas. He’s flirting with 120 points on a Sharks team that’s rebuilding on the fly. Oddsmakers have him right behind Nathan MacKinnon in the MVP race. It’s wild, but none of it feels forced. The kid just plays.
Before the Olympics began, McDavid singled out Celebrini.
Which brings me back to McDavid. He doesn’t hand out compliments lightly—he doesn’t have to. But before the Olympics even started, he went out of his way to talk about how much Celebrini impressed him. Not in a polite veteran-to-rookie sort of way, but with genuine admiration: the work ethic, the competitiveness, the maturity. Coming from the best player in the world, that hits differently.
And today felt like a little confirmation of McDavid’s read. Celebrini didn’t just “make” the team; he looked like someone Canada will lean on. That’s wild for someone who can’t even rent a car yet.
Team Canada is loaded. But McDavid and Celebrini might be two of the best.
I can legitimately say I’m invested in both teams for personal reasons. Edmonton for McDavid—the player who has carried the sport for a decade and is still somehow underappreciated. San Jose for Celebrini—the teenager who just kicked the Olympic door open and might be the next name we all follow for the next 15 years.
If this is the handoff between one generation and the next, today was a pretty good opening chapter.