Macklin Celebrini’s list of 2026 accolades just got one item longer.
The Sharks center was unveiled Monday as the cover athlete for EA Sports’ “NHL 27,” becoming the youngest player in league history to earn the honor at 20 years old — surpassing Trevor Zegras, who was 21 when he covered “NHL 23.”
Celebrini only is the second Sharks player ever to grace the cover, following Owen Nolan, who appeared on “NHL 2001” — a gap of 25 years.
The recognition caps a season that redefined what San Jose expected from its former No. 1 overall pick. Celebrini surpassed Joe Thornton’s franchise scoring record, which had stood for nearly two decades, finishing with 115 points — 45 goals and 70 assists — in 82 games, good for fourth in the NHL. He was a Ted Lindsay Award finalist alongside Connor McDavid and Nikita Kucherov, an award voted on by his peers for the league’s most outstanding player.
MACKLIN CELEBRINI MAKES HISTORY 🦈
With his 115th point of the season, the 19-year-old has set a new single-season franchise record for the San Jose Sharks! pic.twitter.com/MgivC0afR6
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 17, 2026
The accolades extended well beyond San Jose this year. Celebrini represented Team Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics as the youngest NHL player on the roster, led the tournament in goals with five, and became the first NHL player in history to convert a penalty shot at the Olympic Games — helping Canada capture the silver medal. He later was named captain of Canada’s roster at the IIHF World Championship, finishing second among all scorers with 14 points in 10 games, and was named the IIHF’s Male Player of the Year for the 2025-26 season. He also is a nominee for Best NHL Player at this year’s ESPY Awards.
Two seasons into his career, Celebrini already has drawn comparisons to the league’s biggest stars. The cover of “NHL 27” might be the least surprising accolade on the list.
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