© Jessi Pierce

LAKE ELMO, Minn. — Macklin Celebrini is finding it difficult to wait for his first NHL training camp with the San Jose Sharks next month.

“The anticipation couldn’t be higher for me,” said the 18-year-old center who was the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. This statement was made at the Hobey Baker Memorial Tournament held at Royal Golf Club on Thursday. “I’ve been pondering about the potential of their prospect pool, the additions they’ve made, and the exceptional caliber of the players. Considering the team in their front office, my excitement is sky-high.”

The winner of the 2024 Hobey Baker Memorial Award, honoring the top player in NCAA men’s hockey, Celebrini signed his initial contract with the Sharks on July 6, skipping his second year at Boston University. Following a development camp in San Jose from July 2-4, he has been training at his North Vancouver, British Columbia home.

“He expressed his enthusiasm for his new team, stating, “I feel they’re really making progress in the right direction, and I’m eager to see what the future brings.”

The Sharks are focused on flipping the script after finishing last in the NHL (19-54-9) in 2023-24 and failing to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the fifth straight season. Besides Celebrini, they made several significant additions, signing forwards Tyler Toffoli (four-year contract) and Alex Wennberg (two years) on July 1 and claiming two-time Stanley Cup winning forward Barclay Goodrow off waivers from the New York Rangers on June 24.

Will Smith, a 19-year-old center prospect, was selected as the No. 4 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. Smith set a program record for a first-year player at Boston College by leading the NCAA with 71 points, comprised of 25 goals and 46 assists, in 41 games last season. His contributions also helped the Eagles reach the national title game, although they lost 2-0 to the University of Denver.

“Celebrini spoke highly of Smith, whom he met at a development camp. He described Smith as a great guy and shared that they had a good rapport. He expressed his excitement about working together, as they both share the same goal of pushing the team and organization to its limits. He believes this shared goal will make their future collaboration an excellent one.”

Last season, Celebrini scored 64 points (32 goals, 32 assists) in 38 games and, at just 17 years old, became the youngest player to secure the Hobey Baker Award. He ranked second in the NCAA based on points per game (1.68) and goals, and third in overall points.

He stated that he continues to hone his 200-foot game and wall play skills following his development camp experience. He is well aware of the significant pressure that comes with turning the Sharks’ fortunes around, but insists that he couldn’t be more prepared.

“Celebrini stated, “The thought of failure before even beginning never crosses our minds. Our goal is to secure as many wins as possible. Entering a season with the mentality of losing games is not an option. I believe that’s the attitude we will adopt. We possess the right team for the job and have made some impressive moves during the offseason.”

This is my initial training camp, so naturally, I’m feeling quite nervous and excited. My objective is to not let these emotions overwhelm me, but rather use them as a source of motivation. Ultimately, I believe it’s important to focus on the things you can control and let everything else sort itself out, which is currently my main focus.