Sharks Name Macklin Celebrini Captain

The inevitable has finally become official. Twenty-year-old Macklin Celebrini has officially been named the 14th captain of the San Jose Sharks, the youngest in franchise history.

Sharks Reaction

The Sharks announced the leadership change with a video on social media where Joe Thornton, former Sharks captain who housed Celebrini his first two seasons in the NHL, broke the news to the locker room. His teammates then took turns congratulating him with hugs and kind words. 

“It’s huge, I think we were all expecting it, and he’s obviously a leader on this team,” linemate Will Smith told reporters via the Sharks media team. “He’s gonna have that letter for a while.”

Celebrini is the 11th permanent captain in Sharks history. (San Jose rotated the captaincy between Vincent Damphousse, Mike Ricci, Alyn McCauley and Patrick Marleau in 2003-04.) He succeeds Logan Couture, who left a vacancy after his abrupt retirement in 2025 due to osteitis pubis, which is inflammation in the joint between the left and right pubic bones. 

“It’s a huge honor,” Celebrini said during his captaincy press conference. “It’s just something that I can’t really take lightly. Obviously, there’s a responsibility that comes with that. But at the same time, I’m not really going to change who I am or what I do. Just a huge honor first and foremost, and with that comes some responsibility.”

Stepping Stones to the C

The C on his chest was earned, not given. Celebrini’s 2025-26 campaign that catapulted him into superstardom was filled with highlights. He broke Thornton’s franchise record for most points in a single season, led the Olympics in goals, was named captain for Team Canada at the IIHF World Championship, was named the youngest EA Sports NHL video game cover athlete and briefly set the record for the largest contract in NHL history with his five-year, $94 million contract with an $18.8 million average annual value.

We got a preview of a Celebrini captaincy when he was named leader of Team Canada at the World Championship, where he finished second in the tournament in points. Sidney Crosby reportedly deferred when given the opportunity to be captain when he joined the roster after the team’s leadership was already announced, allowing Celebrini to get his feet wet as a captain.

Celebrini is the sixth-youngest player to be named captain in NHL history behind Connor McDavid, Gabriel Landeskog, Crosby, Vincent Lecavalier and Jonathan Toews. Technically speaking, Brian Bellows of the Minnesota North Stars is the youngest player to ever wear a captain’s C in a game when he did it in 1983, but it was in an interim role because regular captain Craig Hartsburg was injured. 

Celebrini still has time to pass Crosby as the youngest captain to win the Stanley Cup, but if he wants that accolade, he better do it quickly because Crosby did it at just 21 years old. 

San Jose’s New Reality

The Sharks have yet to name their alternate captains. San Jose general manager Mike Grier told NBC Sports Bay Area & California, “We’ll probably announce those next week. I think Warso and I still have a couple more conversations to have.” 

San Jose is building a young core, so it’s not much of a surprise that the team’s most talented player and hardest worker earned the honor early. Veterans and youngsters alike marvel at Celebrini’s work ethic and natural ability. San Jose surprised many in 2025-26 by sticking in the playoff race until game 80, which in large part was due to Celebrini dragging the rest of the roster into the fight. He was three points shy of doubling the next-highest Sharks point scorer, his running mate Smith, who had 59 points in 69 games. 

With Celebrini as young as he is, it is more than likely he becomes the franchise’s longest-tenured captain. When he hits his seventh season with the C on his sweater, he will pass Couture, who served in the role for six seasons.

Since the Sharks’ inaugural season in 1991, they have never had a prospect like Celebrini who steps in and leads from the beginning. Marleau had the honor before a year of Rob Blake buffered the baton being passed to Thornton. Joe Pavelski’s reign was memorable but relatively short-lasting, just four seasons.

While San Jose has had stellar leadership in the past, it’s hard for the fanbase to not believe in Celebrini to eclipse all who have come before him. It’s not just his play on the ice. The wisdom he shows is well beyond his years, and the kindness of his character is obvious from the way his teammates talk about him. The Sharks are about to enter a new golden age for the franchise, and they have the right person to lead them.