Hockey can be a humbling sport, even for Macklin Celebrini.

The San Jose Sharks up 3-2 late in the third period, Celebrini threw a pizza up the middle of the ice, and Mats Zuccarello tied it.

🗣️ZUUUUUUUUCY🗣️ pic.twitter.com/0BrPzZX273

— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) December 31, 2025

This would’ve been a cold way to end unofficial Celebrini Coronation Day. This morning, the 19-year-old was named to the Canadian Olympic team, the first NHL teenager to be named to Team Canada since NHL’ers started going to the Winter Games in 1998. Celebrini followed that announcement up with a goal and an assist to give the Sharks a lead against one of the best teams in the league.

“That’s something I’ve never had before.”

Celebrini talks MVP chants, excitement over being named to Team Canada, #SJSharks at 20 wins this season here –> https://t.co/GZWW6FMPvP pic.twitter.com/cWWlhCZRN5

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) January 1, 2026

But more important than the mistake is how you respond. And Celebrini and the San Jose Sharks did just that, pulling out a 4-3 shootout victory.

“He’s a smart, smart individual. He knows. That’s something that Mack will continue to get better at,” head coach Ryan Warsofsky admitted. “When we don’t have momentum, keep our game a little bit more simple.”

After his turnover, Celebrini fired five shot attempts at Jesper Wallstedt to end regulation and in OT. He also scored on the shootout.

Yaroslav Askarov is also an example of a young Shark who responded to adversity by stepping up his game. Beat on three long shots tonight, perhaps the most galling being the Marcus Foligno bad angle one-timer that made it 3-2, Askarov responded to his teammate’s turnover by stoning Quinn Hughes on an OT breakaway, then shutting the Wild out in the shootout.

“He’s mentally tough. Obviously doesn’t love the second one, but the breakaway there on Hughes is a huge save. Gives us a little jolt there,” Warsofsky said. “And then in the shootout, he was locked in.”

Jesper Wallstedt on playing against Askarov:
“It’s fun. Obviously, I played against Askarov since I was 15. We’re the same age, and we’ve played national teams since way back. So this is probably my 20th game against him, and maybe like the second in the NHL. So it’s always fun…

— William Espy (@William_Espy) January 1, 2026

The San Jose Sharks are now 20-17-3, matching last season’s win total in just 40 games.

Obviously, Celebrini’s ascension to superstardom is a key reason behind it. But another? Young Sharks like Celebrini and Askarov bouncing back from mistakes, Shakir Mukhamadullin overcoming an upper-body injury that made him a game-time decision, and Ty Dellandrea playing through illness, in short, San Jose overcoming adversity like, dare I say it, a playoff team.

The Sharks now have the No. 1 wild card spot.

“I don’t think many people had us in this spot right now,” Warsofsky said.

Foligno called Celebrini a future Hall of Famer https://t.co/Ge4VKuzlzd

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) January 1, 2026

John Klingberg

Klingberg, on what the San Jose Sharks are doing right: 

I think what we’re seeing right now, and what I feel in the locker room, is we got a lot of confidence in our team structure, how we need to play, and there’s a lot of trust in knowing what the other guy is going to do on the ice. You don’t see a lot of breakdowns, turnovers, easy mistakes and stuff like that. I think you see a full five man unit out there doing the right things, and I think that’s why we’re limiting some opportunities defensively, but we’re also getting longer offensive zone time as well. You need that to score goals.

Klingberg, on recognizing Macklin Celebrini’s talent:

I think you saw it right away. What he’s been doing is obviously very exciting for this city, this organization, the fans and for us players as well. But ever since day one, I think he just has been driving the bus. It’s easy to follow him, and [it’s a] very well earned spot for him.

Klingberg, on what he meant by Celebrini “driving the bus:

He’s involved in all the leadership meetings. He’s a great teammate, taking care of the young guys, even if he’s a young guy too. You guys see him on the ice, he’s leading with a purpose on the ice, but even in the locker room. He’s got a voice, he’s talking. He’s a lot of fun to be around, and very mature for his age.

Jeff Skinner

Skinner, on his first impressions of Celebrini:

Like everyone else saying, obviously he’s one of the best players in the league. It’s just fun to be around a player like that. I think he does a lot for our team. Brings it every night, brings guys into the fight. I think that’s kind of the biggest thing, is you see him every night [playing] the same way. A lot of guys go through their careers trying to find that consistency. He seems to have found it pretty early. His play and his skill speaks for itself. It’s been fun to watch, I think for everyone, myself included in that.

Skinner, on his line’s performance:

Obviously some games you feel better. I think the line played well. I thought Reggie played great. He wins a lot of battles. He’s obviously a big guy and really tough for other teams to handle on the boards. Thought Delly was good too. I think he’s always solid. When the lines feeling good, guys are reading off each other, that’s when I think you start to make some more plays and play with the puck a little bit more. I thought we had some good looks. Think there’s still some things we want to work on get better, but overall, pretty good.

Skinner, on what the San Jose Sharks did right:

Just playing hard, trying to play a good, solid game. Guys capitalized on opportunities when we got the chance. Cherny obviously made a big goal for us, and then Asky made some huge saves for us. I think overall, it’s just a good team game. Guys were reading off each other well, and that’s what you need. When you play a good team, things are going to be tight. It’s going to be back and forth. They’re going to get chances. There’s going to be breakdowns either way, and you just have to stick with it.

William Eklund

Eklund, on what’s making the difference for the San Jose Sharks:

Guys buying in. We do the things we talk about and that pays off. If you keep doing that. Trust the process. Things are going to turn around.

Eklund, on Celebrini making the Canadian Olympic Team:

You can say a lot of things about Mack, and he deserves that spot so much. I’m just happy for him. He’s such a good guy outside of hockey also, you got to think about that too. He’s one of the hardest worker I’ve ever seen, so he deserves all the credit he gets, and he’s just gonna keep getting better.

Eklund, on if the team’s confidence has risen:

Yeah, I think so. We know mistakes are going to happen in the game. We all try our best out there, [but] it’s gonna happen. If we stick to what we can do in the next next play, we’re going to be a hell of a team, and that’s what we showed today.

Ryan Warsofsky

Warsofsky, on closing out 2025 with a win at home:

It’s nice for our fans to get rewarded. I think that’s important. We had great energy from our in our building today, [for an] afternoon game to close out 2025 and our team is playing some pretty good hockey.

Warsofsky joked, on day that Sharks matched last year’s entire win total in just 40 games, that he’s still got all of his kids 😆

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) January 1, 2026

Warsofsky, on Chernyshov’s goal:

That is an NHL move. The speed, the demand that he wants with the puck. You know him and Mack have some chemistry going right now. [It was] a great finish. We’ve seen that he had a couple of chances [with a] similar move. He actually just keeps getting better, similar to Mack.