Celebrini’s ‘amazing’ NHL debut provides Sharks silver lining in loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
SAN JOSE — Macklin Celebrini’s NHL debut began as if it had been written in a Hollywood script, except this movie ended with the hero falling in agonizing defeat despite doing everything possible to deliver a storybook ending.
Celebrini delivered a goal and assist in his first period of NHL action, setting the Sharks up for an emphatic win before San Jose’s late collapse in a 5-4 overtime loss to the St. Louis Blues on Thursday at SAP Center.
Despite a tough defeat in his first professional regular-season game, Celebrini still managed to appreciate the gravity of taking the ice for the first time after being selected No. 1 overall in the 2024 NHL Draft.
“It was awesome. It’s everything I thought it would be for my first game. It was an amazing experience and one I’ll cherish for my whole life,” Celebrini said after Thursday’s loss.
Celebrini immediatley stole the spotlight with a remarkable backhand goal to begin the scoring in the first period.
The 18-year-old center detailed what lead to his unforgettable first-career goal that sent the home crowd at SAP Center into a frenzy.
“I mean I got a pass entering the zone. Didn’t see a lot of options,” Celebrini said. “They had a couple guys back and I saw [William Eklund] driving the net and I thought he had a step on the defenseman, so I just tried to fake up and then throw into the middle, see if he could get a stick on it. But it was just a lucky bounce off the [defenseman’s] skate.”
Celebrini also added an assist on an impressive pass to veteran forward Tyler Toffoli, with the 18-year-old serving up the puck on a platter from his position behind the Blues’ net.
While Celebrini and the Sharks didn’t come away with a win, there was a level of excitement permeating around SAP Center well before the puck even dropped — a rare if not unprecedented sight in recent years during San Jose’s five-year playoff drought.
Celebrini was greeted with cheers from the moment he took the ice for his rookie skate with former top-five draft pick Will Smith, and wasted no time repaying Sharks fans for their unbridled support.
When reflecting on what this monumentous occasion meant to him, Celebrini was quick to detail what sticks with him moving forward from Thursday’s debut.
“I think just the whole process going up to it. All my teammates, and just going through it with Smitty, too. That was really cool,” Celebrini said. “Just all those memories just, those plays, first shift. All that, The warmup, rookie lap. I tried to soak up as much as I could.”
St. Louis’ late charge spoiled Celebrini’s perfect ending, but make no mistake about it — the No. 1 overall draft pick’s electric performance is the first of many more to come, offering the Sharks a comforting silver lining on the dark cloud hanging over the team after a brutal loss to begin the 2024-25 NHL season.
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