Presumed Sharks No. 1 pick Celebrini excited to begin rebuild
Presumed Sharks No. 1 pick Celebrini excited to begin rebuild originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Editor's Note: Sheng Peng will be a regular contributor to NBC Sports California’s Sharks coverage. You can read more of his coverage on San Jose Hockey Now, listen to him on the San Jose Hockey Now Podcast, and follow him on Twitter at @Sheng_Peng.
SECAUCUS, N.J. — Good news for Macklin Celebrini, he won’t have to learn what Zillow is
"Have you been on Zillow every night?... " - John Buccigross
"No, no. Wait, what's Zillow?" - Macklin Celebrini, 17, the likely No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft 🏒🏡📺 pic.twitter.com/XlLso3FADd— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 7, 2024
It’s been a whirlwind the last couple of days for Celebrini.
He was in Europe, set to play for Team Canada at the World Championships in Czechia. But then, veterans Pierre-Luc Dubois, Nick Paul, and Brandon Hagel, just eliminated from the playoffs, were added to the squad, and the 17-year-old phenom, along with 2023 third-overall pick Adam Fantilli, was dropped from the roster.
Celebrini, on the way home, stopped by Secaucus for the 2024 Draft Lottery. He shared that he literally had landed in New Jersey just a couple of hours before.
The surefire No. 1 pick was greeted with good news – the San Jose Sharks, essentially his adopted hometown team, had won the first-overall selection.