Macklin Celebrini named San Jose Sharks captain at age 20, becoming youngest current NHL captain

By Vancouver Television Sports Desk

Macklin Celebrini was named captain of the San Jose Sharks on Friday, a move that places the 20-year-old at the centre of the franchise’s leadership group and makes him the youngest current captain in the NHL. The NHL announced that the appointment also marks the youngest captain in Sharks history, with San Jose having gone without a captain since Logan Couture announced his retirement on April 15, 2025.

The designation comes shortly after Celebrini signed a five-year, $94 million contract with an average annual value of $18.8 million, an agreement that took place less than two months before the captaincy announcement. With the ‘C’ now on his jersey, Celebrini framed the role as a responsibility that he intends to approach without changing who he is on and off the ice. “Huge honor. I think just something that I can't really take lightly,” Celebrini said Friday, adding, “Obviously, there's a responsibility that comes with that, but at the same time, I'm not really going to change who I am or what I do.”

Celebrini also emphasized that captaincy, in his view, reflects a broader leadership structure within the dressing room. He said, “I think that's the special thing about our group. We've built such a cool culture and relationship with each other, where we're all super tight,” and he pointed to the wider group rather than a single leader or coach. Celebrini said, “It's not just going to come from me or (coach Ryan Warsofsky). I think it's going to come from our whole group,” while noting that the Sharks have experienced players who understand what it takes to win.

In conjunction with the captaincy announcement, Celebrini was presented his No. 71 jersey from former Sharks captain Joe Thornton following practice Friday. Celebrini described the moment as meaningful not just because of Thornton’s status in the organization, but because of his personal connection to Thornton and Thornton’s family. “Getting the jersey from 'Jumbo', him and his family have such a special place in my life,” Celebrini said. “Just with how they accepted me into their family two years ago, and everything that they've done for me,” he continued, adding that he “can't really put into words” how much the family has meant to him.

Thornton, speaking in the same setting, linked the handoff to the importance of Celebrini to the broader Bay Area community. The NHL reported Thornton’s comments, including that “everybody you” in the room and “in the whole Bay Area” values Celebrini, before he directed him to come forward for the presentation. The league also noted that Celebrini lived with Thornton during his rookie season in 2024-25.

Sharks general manager Mike Grier backed the decision by pointing to Celebrini’s leadership and the way he carries it through training. Grier said, “Your hard work, the way you lead our group. Just watching you in training camp going double shifts there. But you're pushing the group, so this is, well, a well-deserved honor. So congratulations.” Grier previously discussed captaincy as an expectation rooted in character; in remarks to reporters dated Sept. 17, he described a team captain’s role as “sacred,” and on Friday he reiterated that his focus was more on the person than the player.

When asked what made Celebrini the right fit for captaincy, Grier explained that leadership starts with being “a good person.” He said, “If you're going to be someone who's going to lead a group, you have to be a good person. You got to do the right things. You've got to show up to work every day,” and he connected that standard to credibility with teammates. “When you try and lead a group, you can't ask someone to do something you're not willing to do,” Grier said, adding that Celebrini has demonstrated the qualities he believes are required for the role.

Celebrini’s captaincy is also the latest development in an unusually busy year for the centre, spanning NHL play, international tournaments and off-ice recognition. The NHL reported that Celebrini played for Team Canada at the 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics, recording 10 points (five goals, five assists) in six games. He later became Canada’s captain for the 2026 IIHF World Hockey Championship in Zurich and Fribourg, Switzerland, in May.

At the World Championship, Celebrini produced 14 points (six goals, eight assists) in 10 games as Canada finished fourth. The NHL reported that Canada lost the bronze-medal game 3-2 in overtime to Norway. Celebrini said the experience of wearing the ‘C’ for his country was “a tremendous honor,” and he described learning from other leaders in the room, including Sidney Crosby, John Tavares and Ryan O’Reilly. “There were plenty of leaders in that room, and they were so gracious just to let me take that responsibility and have that trust in me,” Celebrini said.

On the NHL ice, the league described Celebrini’s recent performance as a key part of his rapid rise. The NHL reported that he finished fourth in scoring last season, his second in the league, with 115 points (45 goals, 70 assists) in 82 games. Over two NHL seasons, he has 178 points (70 goals, 108 assists) in 152 regular-season games, according to the league.

Celebrini’s captaincy also follows additional league and media recognition. In July, he was named the IIHF Male Player of the Year, and he was revealed as the cover athlete on EA Sports NHL 27. The league further noted that his new contract became an NHL-record average annual value until Cale Makar signed an eight-year, $163.2 million deal with the Colorado Avalanche on Aug. 28.

San Jose is preparing for a return to game action with leadership changes already in place. The NHL reported that the Sharks host the Florida Panthers in their season opener on Oct. 1. Separately, the NHL noted that five teams are without a captain right now: the Boston Bruins, Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, Ottawa Senators and Vancouver Canucks. With Celebrini’s ‘C’ now official in San Jose, the Sharks will open the season with a captain who the league has identified as the youngest in franchise history and the youngest current captain across the NHL.

In remarks after the contract signing reported by the NHL, Grier said the organization wanted Celebrini to feel valued and “compensated fairly,” adding that Celebrini was willing to take “a little bit less” to provide roster flexibility. Grier also connected captaincy to continuity, saying he does not expect the money or payday to change Celebrini’s approach. “He's kind of built and wired the way he is and that's to be great,” Grier said, and he added, “I don't expect that to change.”