Mack Celebrini is finding it hard to wait for his first NHL training camp with the San Jose Sharks next month.
“I couldn’t be more excited,” the 18-year-old center and No. 1 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft said at the Hobey Baker Memorial Tournament at Royal Golf Club on Thursday. “I was actually thinking about their prospect pool and how they made those additions, and how great of players those guys are. And the people they have in the front office, I couldn’t be more excited.”
Celebrini, who won the Baker Memorial Award for top player in NCAA men’s hockey, signed his entry-level contract with the Sharks on July 6, forgoing his sophomore season at Boston University. Since development camp in San Jose from July 2-4, he has been training at home in North Vancouver, British Columbia.
“I feel like they’re really going in the right direction and I’m just excited for what the future holds,” he said of his new team.
The Sharks want to flip 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 also added forwards Tyler Toffoli (four-year contract) and Alex Wennberg (two years) on July 1 and claimed two-time Stanley Cup winning forward Barclay Goodrow off waivers from the New York Rangers on June 24.
San Jose also signed Will Smith, chosen with the No.4 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. Smith led the NCAA with 71 points (25 goals, 46 assists) in 41 matches last season. As a freshman at Boston College he set a program record for a first-year player and helped the Eagles win the national title game.
“We met up at a development camp and he’s great,” Celebrini said of Smith. “He’s a great guy and we got along very well. It’s going to be fun together. We both have the same goals and that is just to help take this team and organization as far as we can, so that’s going to be great.”
Celebrini had 64 points (32 goals, 32 assists) in 38 matches last season, and at 17 became the youngest player to win the Hobey Baker Award. He was second in the NCAA in points per game (1.68) and goals, and third in points.
Fresh out of development camp, he said he is working on his 200-foot game and a lot of wall play. Celebrini knows there will be a large amount of pressure trying to turn San Jose around, but he said he could not be more ready.
“You never really think about failing before you even start,” Celebrini said.
“I mean, we’re going to try to win as many games as possible. You never want to go into a season thinking that you’re going to lose games. I feel like that’s the mindset we’re going to have. We have the group to do it, and we’ve made some great offseason moves.
“It’s my first training camp, so there’s definitely a lot of nerves and a lot of excitement as well. I just feel like not letting it consume you, but kind of fuel you. At the end of the day, you’ve got to take care of what you can control and the rest will take care of itself, so I feel that’s what I’m focusing on.”
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