Celebrini’s ‘amazing’ NHL debut gives Sharks silver lining over loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

SAN JOSE – Macklin Celebrini’s NHL debut began as if it were written in a Hollywood script, except this film ended with the hero in agonizing defeat, despite doing everything he could to deliver a fairytale ending.

Celebrini had a goal and an assist in his first stint in the NHL, setting the Sharks up for a comfortable win before San Jose fell to the St. Louis Blues in a 5-4 overtime loss to the St. Louis Blues on Thursday at SAP Center.

Despite a tough loss in his first professional game of the regular season, Celebrini still understood the seriousness of being on the ice for the first time after being selected No. 1 overall in the 2024 NHL Draft.

“It was great. It’s everything I imagined for my first game. It was an incredible experience that I will remember for the rest of my life,” Celebrini said after Thursday’s defeat.

Celebrini immediately caused a stir with a remarkable backhand goal, opening the scoring in the first third.

The 18-year-old center detailed what led to his unforgettable first-career goal that sent the home crowd at the SAP Center into a frenzy.

“I mean, I got a pass in the zone. I didn’t see many options,” Celebrini said. “They had a couple of guys back and I saw (William Eklund) shoot into the net and I thought he took a step on the defender, so I just tried to fake something and then throw it in the middle, to see if he could hit a stick.” But it was just a lucky bounce off (the defender’s) skate.

Celebrini also assisted on an impressive pass to senior forward Tyler Toffoli, with the 18-year-old dishing out the puck from his position behind the Blues’ net.

Even though Celebrini and the Sharks didn’t get a win, there was some excitement at the SAP Center long before the puck even dropped – a rare, if not unprecedented, sight in recent years during San Jose’s five-year playoff drought.

Celebrini was greeted with cheers from the moment he stepped onto the ice for his rookie skate with former top-five draft pick Will Smith and wasted no time in thanking Sharks fans for their unwavering support.

As Celebrini reflected on what the monumental occasion meant to him, he quickly touched on what has stuck with him since his debut on Thursday.

“I think the whole process before that. All my teammates and Smitty too. That was really cool,” Celebrini said. “Just all those memories, those games, the first shift. All of that, the warm-up, the rookie round. I tried to soak up as much as I could.”

St. Louis’ late onslaught ruined Celebrini’s perfect finish, but make no mistake – the No. 1 overall draft pick’s electrifying performance is the first of many more to come and offers a reassuring silver lining for the Sharks Horizon above the gloomy cloud that hangs above The team enters the 2024-25 NHL season after a brutal defeat.

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