Macklin Celebrini has officially made his return to the San Jose Sharks’ practice sessions after missing the past few days due to an illness. The young star took to the ice on Tuesday, centering a line with Will Smith and Jeff Skinner, marking his on-rink reunion with the team.
The San Jose Sharks have been actively focusing on their power play formations during practice. While John Klingberg was notably absent from the ice, Celebrini, along with teammates Dickinson, Smith, Toffoli, and Eklund, were part of the first power play unit. The second power play lineup consisted of Orlov, Misa, Skinner, Kurashev, and Wennberg.
Returning for his first media interaction this season, the 19-year-old Celebrini addressed the media about various topics, including the potential of representing Canada in the Olympics, spending time with Michael Misa, and the invaluable lessons learned from NHL star Sidney Crosby over the summer. Regarding his time with Crosby, Celebrini expressed admiration for Crosby’s work habits and the valuable insights he gathered from observing the seasoned player’s approach to the game.
Celebrini shared his thoughts on the upcoming season, noting the importance of team cohesion as they prepare during the preseason. He emphasized the desire to work together as a team to avoid experiencing the unpleasantness of losing games, aiming for a strong start to the season.
He also spoke candidly about dealing with external pressures from the media and other expectations, maintaining a pragmatic view that his focus should remain on his performance rather than comments and speculation.
A key focus for Celebrini personally is to improve his performance metrics, particularly his negative goal differential from the previous season. He reflected on his motivation to refine his skills, supported by his recent work with Zenon Konopka to enhance his face-off techniques.
Celebrini expressed excitement about playing alongside familiar faces like Will Smith and Jeff Skinner, who’s had a notable career, even achieving a 50-goal season. He acknowledged Skinner’s experience and potential contributions to their line.
On a lighter note, Celebrini humorously recounted Tyler Toffoli’s first experience on the Grouse Grind, a popular hiking trail, and mentioned the surprisingly widespread attention a fun “sleepover bobblehead” event garnered. As Celebrini aims to step into more of a leadership role, he remains open to learning from seasoned veterans while contributing his voice to the team.
With his return to practice, Sharks fans can look forward to Celebrini’s increasing presence both on and off the ice as he continues to grow and contribute to the team’s success.