Macklin Celebrini Named Sharks Captain

On Friday the San Jose Sharks officially passed the torch, naming 20-year-old Macklin Celebrini as Sharks captain. Celebrini becomes the 11th captain in Sharks franchise history, succeeding Logan Couture, who donned the 'C' from 2019 until his retirement in 2024.

General manager Mike Grier said Celebrini's leadership naturally emerged, especially throughout training camp.

"Watching him around training camp and the older guys, all those guys were kind of naturally following Mack," Grier said at the Sharks' press conference. Grier added that Celebrini's work ethic and character factored into the choice.

"You have to be a good person, you gotta treat people right and you have to be willing to put in the work," Grier said. "This is a special case, but your best player isn't always your captain. But in our case Mack's our best player and he's our leader, so we're very fortunate in that regard."

In the interim since Couture's retirement, Team Teal has used a rotation of alternate captains for leadership on the Sharks' bench. Celebrini first joined the Sharks' leadership group last season, wearing an 'A' during his second NHL season. Tyler Toffoli served as the alternate for all games in the 2025-26 season, while Alexander Wennberg and Mario Ferraro served as the alternate for road games, and Barclay Goodrow and Celebrini took on the role for home games.

That progression from 'A' to 'C' made Friday's announcement even more of a full circle moment, as former Sharks captain (2010-14) Jumbo Joe Thornton presented Celebrini with his captain's jersey.

Thornton announced Celebrini as the No. 1 draft pick back in 2024 at the NHL Draft, and mentored and hosted Celebrini during his rookie year with his family. Celebrini later broke Thornton's own Sharks record for most points in a single season, finishing last season with 115.

"Getting the jersey from Jumbo, him and his family have such a special place in my life," Celebrini said Friday during the Sharks' major announcement.

Celebrini's leadership experience was demonstrated earlier this year on the international stage. Not only did he open the scoring for his country during the Olympics, (off assists from Connor McDavid and Cale Makar), but he also led the tourney with five goals. While Canada came home from Milano Cortina with silver, Celebrini was the youngest player to grace the ice since the NHL's return to the Olympics.

In May, his leadership credentials grew as he became the youngest-ever captain of Canada's senior men's team at the IIHF World Championship in Switzerland. Named IIHF's Male Player of the Year and receiving more than 40 percent of the votes for such an honor, Celebrini had an all-star performance, recording 14 points (six goals and eight assists), and finishing second in scoring throughout the tournament.

From an 'A' in his second NHL season to the 'C' in his third, Celebrini's rise continues. Now, the next challenge and chapter of the franchise officially begins.