Macklin Celebrini Isn't Just the Youngest Player for Team Canada - He's Also Written His Name in the History Books
- Caitlyn Wagner
- 3 hours ago
- 5 min read
If you’ve been keeping up with the men’s hockey tournament at the 2026 Winter Olympics, then you’ve heard about the concept of age a lot. You’ve heard that Sidney Crosby is apparently the oldest player ever to live, you’ve heard that Brad Marchand is getting up there, and you’ve heard that Macklin Celebrini is apparently the youngest player ever to breathe.
Okay, maybe not. But we’re sure you have heard about Celebrini’s age – because it was talked about a lot. He may not be the youngest player to ever breathe (although with how much the analysts were going on about him, it sure feels like it), but he is the youngest player to ever be named to Team Canada. At merely 19 years old, he beat out Drew Doughty, who was only 20 when he was named to the Winter Olympics in 2010.
But is he really that good? Many people had things to say about Team Canada’s roster, and Celebrini’s spot was a prime area for contention. To the public, he was too young, yet many also thought his level of play thus far in the NHL season earned him a spot.
Choosing the Roster
The Milano Cortina Winter Olympics had everything: comeback stories, heartbreak, and unbelievable performances. Team USA’s women’s hockey team is just one example: they allowed merely 2 goals all tournament, and thanks to Megan Keller’s game-winning goal in overtime of the gold medal game, they came away with gold for the first time in history!
However, there were some theatrics leading up to the games, particularly for Team Canada. It is public knowledge that Canadians care deeply about their beloved hockey, so the prospect of the men’s 2026 Olympic roster was a wide debate, stemming from who to take. Do you go with a few of the older players, or do you take young talent like Macklin Celebrini or Connor Bedard?
Obviously, some players were a lock. (We’re pretty sure the country would have shut down had Sidney Crosby not been picked.) But four months into the NHL season, San Jose Sharks forward Macklin Celebrini was making a case for himself – through 55 games, he amassed 81 points, with 28 goals and 53 assists. Coming off an impressive rookie season, which saw him total 63 points over 70 games, Celebrini’s elevated game in the 25-26 season propelled his name to the top of Canada’s pile of impressive talent, and only made the choice that much harder.
Ultimately, Celebrini’s talent couldn’t be ignored, and when Team Canada’s roster was announced on December 31st, Celebrini’s name was front and centre. Given that he was 3 years old when Sidney Crosby scored the ‘golden goal’ for Team Canada in 2010, being named to the roster showcased a new generation of NHLers competing internationally, and gave Celebrini a chance to play with Crosby, a self-proclaimed ‘role model’ for him – and every kid who grew up playing hockey.
The Statistics
While Celebrini was outwardly polite and focused on the team rather than his individual selection, inwardly, he was nervous. He expressed self-doubt to his family, asking his dad: “They wouldn’t fly me all the way out there to not play me, right?”
We’re not sure what Rick Celebrini said in response to that, but we’re pretty sure his answer was no, which, in hindsight, was an understatement.
Celebrini may have been nervous, but he didn’t show it once getting onto the ice. In Team Canada’s first preliminary game, he scored the first goal of the tournament for his team, which both proved his doubters wrong and made him the youngest goal scorer for Team Canada at the Olympics.
He didn’t stop there, though. Instead, the forward went on to score 5 goals and get 5 total assists, totaling 10 points; a feat that was behind only Connor McDavid for the most on Team Canada. Head Coach of Jon Cooper also relied on Celebrini defensively: in the team’s semi-final game, Celebrini had 25:53 of ice time, by far the most of anyone else on his team. “He’s generational, that kid”, Cooper said simply. “I’m surprised I didn’t play him more.”
Celebrini went from someone nervous about getting no playing time to averaging more ice time than Canadian superstars like Cale Makar or Connor McDavid. He went from being nervous about playing with Sidney Crosby to being second in points of the entire tournament; he went from ‘the naive kid’ on the roster to an integral part of making it to the gold medal game.
And… we’re sure you’ve heard it a million times, but Celebrini did all of that - and so much more - at just 19.
Final Thoughts
After beating Finland thanks to Nathan MacKinnon’s goal with 30 seconds remaining, Team Canada was headed to the Gold Medal game versus Team USA. It was a sight all too reminiscent of Vancouver 2010, where Sidney Crosby scored in overtime to win Canada a gold medal, but this time, it didn’t pan out the same way.
Jack Hughes of Team USA scored a ‘golden goal’ of his own in overtime, winning USA a gold medal in men’s hockey and ending Macklin Celebrini and Team Canada’s run with a silver medal. On the ice afterwards, Celebrini was visibly upset – how could he not be – and later, he stated, “it’s really disappointing, especially with the group we had.”
A silver medal in most people’s eyes is nothing to be disappointed about. But sometimes our harshest critics are ourselves. “We had a lot of chances,” Celebrini explained to the media after Hughes’ game-winning goal. “[And] I had a lot of chances, [and] I missed . . . you have to capitalize on those situations, and I didn’t.”
Absolutely nobody is blaming Celebrini for losing the gold medal game, but try telling the 19-year-old that. Despite outperforming everyone’s expectations and playing a huge role in getting his team to the gold medal game in the first place, it was evident from Celebrini’s expression as he received his silver medal that it wasn’t the colour he wanted. Though he was harsher on himself than anyone else would have been, his view of a silver medal as a disappointment was a stance that was reflected across his entire team.
“You be the judge who was the better team today,” was all Nathan MacKinnon had to say after the heartbreaking loss.
I’m Canadian, so I’m biased, but I’ll leave that up to you.
Edited by Olivia Feldgus
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