When did I know that Macklin Celebrini had become a superstar on the ice?

It wasn’t a goal. It wasn’t an assist. It wasn’t when the 19-year-old was selected by the Canadian Olympic team. It wasn’t when Celebrini broke the San Jose Sharks’ single-season record for points.

It was a jaw-dropping sequence of plays in the 10th game of the season, a 4-3 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Oct. 28.

Hockey tactics guru Jack Han also added his thoughts about Celebrini.

There are lots of players who can execute each of these plays, but not many who can string them together at NHL top speed.

Kevin Fiala (22) tries to protect the puck for a Los Angeles exit, but Celebrini (71) is on top of him, low and quick and strong.

Two Kings, Quinton Byfield (55) and Brandt Clarke (92), give Fiala options, and Fiala is able to shake the Terminator off for a second.

Fiala advances the puck to Byfield, but Celebrini doubles back on the big center.

6-foot-5 Byfield hesitates, trying to make a play, and 6-foot-0 Celebrini separates him from the puck. Fiala cruises by to help, but Celebrini is able to bat the puck out of the air.

Now it’s Clarke’s turn in the terrordome: Clarke is able to stick the puck away from Celebrini’s forehand. Surely, Celebrini is less dangerous on the backhand? Instead, Celebrini turns the tables, holding the puck on his backhand, away from an outstretched Clarke and Byfield. Celebrini holding the puck high protects the puck.

Two Kings on one Shark, that means there’s an open man. When they reach, he teaches: Celebrini fires a no-look backhand pass to Will Smith (2).

Smith, perhaps not expecting the heat on the pass, can’t quite corral it.

Celebrini (71) incredible sequence disrupting Fiala (22) and Byfield (55) exit, beats Clarke (92) with pass (10/28/25) pic.twitter.com/ouAc80yaEw

— San Jose Hockey Now GIFs (@sjhockeynowGIFS) August 13, 2026

But that was 15 seconds of what makes Celebrini such a singular player, on both sides of the puck, a special sequence from a special player.

That’s when I knew that Celebrini wasn’t just a typical sophomore sensation.

The San Jose Sharks superstar had just one assist in defeat, but I wrote in my game diary, “I think he’s making the Olympic team.”

“Celebrini is the closest I’ve seen to Crosby at this stage of his career,” Han said. “At the same age, McDavid was a bit less polished in terms of knowing what to do off the puck.”

Han also had praise for Celebrini plays right before my highlighted sequence: “He covers for the pinching RD, then spreads the ice when Toffoli has full possession”

That’s John Klingberg (3) gaining the zone with the puck, Celebrini trailing up high, covering for Klingberg on the rush.

Klingberg tries to give it back to Celebrini but can’t connect.

On the San Jose Sharks’ next foray down the ice, Tyler Toffoli (73) dumps it in, and Celebrini is right place, right time on the forecheck.

“Two subtle plays to make his teammates look good shows understanding of the big picture, in terms of where to position himself,” Han said.

What does this say about Celebrini in the big picture?

“You have to have that level of awareness to be a 50-goal or 100-point guy in the NHL,” Han said. “At the lower levels, you can reach those milestones by playing a selfish game. But in the NHL, the guys who do it are the unselfish ones, because they know how to leverage their teammates.”

Han observed that this has been Celebrini’s game the whole time — he hasn’t really had to change his game for the NHL.

“The structure of his game hasn’t really changed since NCAA,” Han said, “which is why we saw him take huge leaps in effectiveness as he got used to the [NHL].”

Instead, Celebrini was bending the NHL to his will, even early last season.