The San Jose Sharks named star forward Macklin Celebrini as their captain on Friday.
The move comes nearly two months since Celebrini signed a five-year, $94 million contract extension. He will play in 2026-27 on the last season of his three-year, $2.925 million entry-level contract.
Celebrini, 20, becomes the youngest captain in franchise history and the team’s first since Logan Couture retired on April 15, 2025.
Former Sharks captain and Hockey Hall of Famer Joe Thornton delivered the news to the players in the locker room.
“Gentlemen, I have the pleasure of introducing the captain of the San Jose Sharks, and I know how much this guy means to everyone in this room and to the whole Bay Area. So Macklin, get up here my friend,” Thornton said as he handed Celebrini his new jersey with a “C” above the heart.
Celebrini tallied a franchise-record 115 points (45 goals, 70 assists) in 82 games last season, finishing fourth in the Hart Trophy voting as the league’s MVP. The 115 points eclipsed the previous team record of 114, set by Thornton in 2006-07.
Celebrini was playing in his second season since signing with San Jose as the first overall pick of the 2024 NHL Draft.
The Boston University product has 178 points (70 goals, 108 assists) in 152 regular-season games.