Why Macklin Celebrini Is Fast Becoming Hockey's Next Great Obsession

Macklin Celebrini is 19 years old and already carrying the weight of a comparison that no player in hockey ever escapes easily. Brady Tkachuk called him Sidney Crosby 2.0 on a recent episode of the Wingmen podcast, and the hockey world has been talking about it ever since.

The comparison did not come out of nowhere. Celebrini produced 115 points in his sophomore NHL season with the San Jose Sharks, finishing as a Ted Lindsay Award finalist and establishing himself as one of the most complete young centres the sport has seen since Crosby himself arrived in Pittsburgh two decades ago.

The Crosby Parallel Is Already Undeniable

Matthew Tkachuk put it plainly on the podcast. Players who remember Crosby as a teenager see the same qualities in Celebrini, including the skating, the puck protection, and the ability to control the tempo of a game through the middle of the ice.

Brady went further. "It's not quite changing of the guard because Sid's still Sid," he said. "But it's just like, holy cow, this kid is going to be 2.0 for the next 20 years." That kind of praise from opponents carries enormous weight. 

Brady Tkachuk is not in the business of building up rival players without reason, and the respect in his voice was unmistakable. When Team Canada assembled for the World Championship in Switzerland, Celebrini was named captain before Crosby joined the roster. 

Rather than reclaiming the armband, Crosby encouraged Celebrini to keep the captaincy and accepted an alternate captain role himself. Celebrini responded by scoring twice against Italy. Crosby then produced four assists against Denmark as Canada rolled through group play unbeaten. 

The two have developed immediate chemistry on the top line together, a development that feels almost cinematic given the circumstances. Celebrini already skated alongside Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon at the Winter Olympics in a line nicknamed the Mac Attack. 

At the World Championship, he is now linemates with Crosby himself. The San Jose Sharks are still building around their young core, but Celebrini has already outgrown the rebuild narrative. He is not a prospect anymore. He is a star, and the sport is beginning to treat him like one.

The torch has not officially changed hands. Crosby is still Crosby. But the next era of Canadian hockey has a face, and at 19 years old, Macklin Celebrini is only getting started.