Celebrini’s Olympic run has the Warriors and Sharks watching celebrini in Milan
Macklin celebrini’s performance for Team Canada in Milan has briefly dictated schedules and moods across the Bay Area: Warriors players paused a Friday morning film session and San Jose is tracking surges in ticket, social and revenue metrics tied to the 19-year-old’s Olympic breakout. The stakes are immediate — Team Canada faces the United States in the Olympic gold medal game on Sunday.
Warriors stopped film to watch the closing minutes
In San Francisco, the Golden State Warriors were preparing for Sunday’s game against the Denver Nuggets when many players and coaches instead watched a tight Olympic game in Italy. The film session was scheduled for Friday morning, but, as coach Steve Kerr said after Saturday’s practice, “We had half the team watching the final two minutes of the game, ” because it was 2-2 at 10 o’clock and they were supposed to be starting film. The game action was taking place about 6, 000 miles from the Chase Center.
How Celebrini’s family ties linked him to the Warriors
Much of the local interest traces to family connections inside the organization. Celebrini’s father, Rick, is identified both as the Warriors’ vice president of player health and performance and as the team’s vice president of player health and medicine, and has been with the organization since 2018. Rick stayed in Los Angeles for a couple of extra days after a recent road trip to be there for Jimmy Butler’s ACL surgery, then flew to Milan to be with the rest of his family and cheer on his son.
Players who know the family shared memories and praise
Members of Golden State’s roster and staff shared memories of Macklin growing up around the franchise. Coach Kerr recalled watching Celebrini play in fullcourt pickup games against his mother, Robyn, older brother Aiden and younger sister Charlie at the team’s old Oakland facility. Moses Moody said he got to know Macklin several years ago while rehabbing injuries under Rick’s watch and praised the family’s demeanor; Moody noted Macklin’s youngest brother, RJ, as an up-and-coming teenage hockey player and said with a smile, “I want Rick to come back in a good mood. ” Moody also referenced a popular online meme about LeBron James predicting improbable futures when describing Macklin’s pedigree.
Payton’s wake-up call and high-ceiling comparisons
Gary Payton II — who usually ends his press conferences by telling media “you guys are great” — looked into the camera after Friday’s practice and ordered the region to tune in: “Go watch Mack, alright? Everybody, wake up in the Bay, and watch Mack. ” Payton urged viewers to catch the 5 a. m. PST Olympic gold medal match in Italy and said, “That kid’s just unreal, ” listing Wayne Gretzky, Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin alongside “Mac” when predicting the sort of all-time company he might keep.
Olympic performance details and on-ice impact in Milan
Celebrini took the ice in Milan as the youngest NHL player in the Olympics and the youngest-ever on a Team Canada roster. Through five Olympic appearances he has totaled 10 points while playing alongside Connor McDavid, Nathan McKinnon and Sidney Crosby. In Friday’s dramatic come-from-behind semifinal win, Celebrini led Team Canada in ice time, logging nearly 26 minutes, ripped a team-high eight shots on goal and assisted on McKinnon’s game-winner.
How the Sharks and Bay Area are feeling the effect
The impact has rippled back to San Jose. Sharks chief marketing officer Doug Bentz said the “athletic spectacle” of Celebrini’s Olympics is turning him into a must-watch and that even some fans who might root for the United States are nonetheless cheering for him to “continue to do these special things. ” KNBR host Derek Papa said he loves America but added, “Macklin Celebrini is going to change things in the Bay Area. He’s going to be the Steph Curry of hockey. ”
Celebrini was the No. 1 overall pick by the local San Jose Sharks in 2024 after departing the Bay Area for one season at Boston University as a 17-year-old. After a stellar rookie season, he has 81 points this season — 28 goals and 53 assists in 55 games — and has been mentioned for the Hart Trophy as part of a Sharks team listed at 27-24-4. That 81-point total is the fourth most in the league this season. Bentz, who has marketed the Sharks for more than two decades, said the franchise’s strategy over the last five years has shifted to grow beyond the Bay Area, and Celebrini’s rise has translated into measurable gains: the Sharks set a franchise record for single-game ticket sales in his rookie season despite finishing at the bottom of the Western Conference, and the franchise is on track to surpass that marker by nearly $3 million this season.
Since landing in Milan two weeks ago, Celebrini’s fame has surged: his Instagram following has grown by 40% and he has the most visited player profile on NHL. com during the Olympic break. Bentz noted that growing Celebrini’s personal presence has a positive impact on the team. In past scheduled NHL breaks the Sharks’ social engagement dipped between 30 and 40 percent; with NHL players back in the Olympics and Celebrini on Canada’s top line, this year’s pattern is markedly different.
A photograph by Kelley L Cox / Imagn Images captured the attention around his Olympic run.
