Macklin Celebrini’s Olympic surge draws Warriors and Sharks into the drama

macklin celebrini’s run with Team Canada has pulled the Bay Area into the Olympic bubble: the Golden State Warriors paused a Friday film session to watch the finish of his semifinal, and the San Jose Sharks are already seeing commercial and fan effects as he heads into the gold-medal game. The stakes are both sporting and local, with family ties to the Warriors and franchise hopes in San Jose riding the moment.

Warriors halted film session as the Milan semifinal reached a 2-2 finish

As the Warriors prepared for a Friday morning film session, many players and coaches stopped work to follow a tight Olympic game in Italy that was about 6, 000 miles from the Chase Center. Coach Steve Kerr said they had half the team watching the final two minutes because the score was 2-2 and "it was 10 o’clock" — they postponed film to see how it ended. The pause came ahead of the Warriors’ upcoming Sunday game against the Denver Nuggets, and the group remained engaged as Celebrini headed into the gold-medal game.

Rick Celebrini’s role, travel and family presence in Milan

Rick Celebrini — identified both as the Warriors’ vice president of player health and performance and elsewhere as the vice president of player health and medicine — has been with the organization since 2018. He stayed in Los Angeles for a couple of extra days after a recent road trip to be present for Jimmy Butler’s ACL surgery, then flew to Milan to join his family and cheer on his son in person. Warriors staff and players have been supporting the Celebrini family from afar while Rick watches his son play for Team Canada.

Locker-room voices: Gary Payton II and Moses Moody urge the region to watch

Gary Payton II — who often ends press conferences with "you guys are great" — turned that energy outward after a Friday practice, telling the region, "Go watch Mack, alright?" He urged people to wake up for the matchup less than 24 hours before the Olympic gold-medal game, which was scheduled for 5 a. m. PST (8 a. m. ET). Payton predicted fans who tune in will see a future all-time great and compared him to Wayne Gretzky, Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin in his roster of legends.

Swingman Moses Moody, who got to know Celebrini while they rehabbed injuries under Rick’s watch, described Celebrini as having a "silent confidence" and praised the family’s demeanor. Moody singled out Macklin’s youngest brother, RJ, calling him an up-and-coming teenage hockey player with composure, and quipped that he hopes Rick returns from Milan "in a good mood. "

Macklin Celebrini’s Olympic workload and on-ice production in Milan

Macklin Celebrini has been prominent for Team Canada in Milan: he was the youngest NHL player in the Olympics and the youngest-ever on a Team Canada roster. Through five Olympic appearances he totaled 10 points while skating alongside household names Connor McDavid, Nathan McKinnon and Sidney Crosby. In Friday’s dramatic come-from-behind semifinal, Celebrini led Canada in ice time, playing nearly 26 minutes, recorded a team-high eight shots on goal and assisted on McKinnon’s game-winner.

He arrived in Milan two weeks before the semifinal and has seen a rapid spike in attention: his Instagram following grew by 40% and his player profile was the most visited on NHL. com during the Olympic break.

Sharks business and fan effects: ticket sales, marketing and on-ice production

The San Jose Sharks have noticed tangible gains tied to Celebrini’s breakout. Sharks chief marketing officer Doug Bentz called the Olympic spectacle a draw that is turning Celebrini into a must-watch and said the international exposure confirms the belief that he can be a global superstar. Bentz, who has marketed the Sharks for more than two decades, framed Celebrini as a golden ticket for a franchise that has been pushing to grow beyond the Bay Area.

Local radio host Derek Papa said he loves America but is rooting for Celebrini, predicting the player will change the Bay Area in the way Stephen Curry did for basketball. The franchise’s history with Celebrini has seen contrasts: in his rookie season the Sharks finished at the bottom of the Western Conference but still set a franchise record for single-game ticket sales. With Celebrini amassing 81 points this season — 28 goals and 53 assists in 55 games, the fourth most in the league — the club is on track to surpass that single-game sales mark by nearly $3 million. The Sharks roster performance this season is reflected in a team record of 27-24-4, and Celebrini has even been mentioned in discussions for the Hart Trophy as his profile and commercial impact grow.