Celebrini brings Sharks fans cheer as they sell out NHL debut for the first time on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN JOSE – Until the bitter, bitter end, it felt like the good old days in the tank, with Sharks fans happily thinking about the possibilities the new season holds.

A disastrous third period and overtime that resulted in a 5-4 loss in San Jose definitely put the SAP Center in distress, but it couldn’t erase the joy that radiated throughout the building for the boy they call Mack .

Macklin Celebrini, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft, made his professional debut against the St. Louis Blues and Sharks fans cheered loudly when his image appeared on the scoreboard high above the ice.

Considered the face of the team even before the first puck of the season, Celebrini brought the crowds to their feet when he scored San Jose’s first goal of the season with a spectacular 360-degree spin-and-shot that deflected off the St. Louis defender Matthew Kessel and went into the net.

It was an electrifying moment in more ways than one and set the tone for the night — and possibly the season.

“It was great,” Celebrini said. “It’s everything I imagined my first game would be.”

This kind of atmosphere had been missing in these parts lately.

After five years in which the Sharks were widely considered the worst team in the NHL, fans were largely indifferent to the franchise that brought professional hockey back to the Bay. However, before the Sharks got into that excitement, they were perennial playoff contenders and were building a huge fan base in their hometown.

The fun times ended when the victory ended. The Sharks finished 30th in attendance at 32 last NHL season, 29th in the 2022-23 season and 25th in the 2021-22 season.

That will almost certainly change this season.

Celebrini’s presence alone has given the Sharks and their fans a new sense of hope. The 18-year-old prodigy has everything San Jose needs: young, athletic and extremely fast on the ice with talent oozing from his pores.

Chants of “We want Macklin” from the sellout crowd of 17,435 echoed throughout the arena, and fans were fully engaged throughout the game. The roar seemed to be loudest when Fabian Zetterlund scored the goal in the second period that gave the Sharks a 3-1 lead.

Even before the game, there was a different feeling in San Jose

Fans clad in teal waited in line for nearly two and a half hours before the puck dropped, many of them excitedly talking about the Sharks and the possibilities for the team.

There was an aura of optimism inside.

During the game, seat-mounted lights flashed on and off, and every close shot by either team was met with oohs and aahs. Even though it was the Sharks’ season opener, the game almost had a playoff feel to it.

When Barclay Goodrow scored with a wrist shot late in the second period to give San Jose a 4-1 lead despite penalties, the SAP crowd erupted in loud and sustained cheers.

The crowd was really excited when Celebrini scored his first goal, but the hype wasn’t just about him. Fellow rookie center Will Smith, the Sharks’ No. 4 draft pick in 2023, also made his NHL debut and took the time to soak it all up.

“It was nice to see the fans again,” Smith said. “And how loud it gets in this building. It’s very special.”

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