Macklin Celebrini has joined rare NHL company after becoming the sixth teenager in league history to reach 100 points in a single season. The San Jose Sharks forward hit the milestone with three points against the St. Louis Blues, including a goal and an assist in the opening period that pushed him into the century club.
Celebrini, who will turn 20 on June 13, now has 38 goals and 63 assists in 72 games. That total places him alongside some of the most celebrated young players the sport has ever seen, including Wayne Gretzky, Sidney Crosby, Mario Lemieux, Dale Hawerchuk and Jimmy Carson.
Elite teenage season
Celebrini became the first teenager to reach 100 points since Crosby did it for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2006-07. The comparison matters because Crosby is the only player in this group to reach the mark twice before turning 20, underscoring how uncommon this level of production is at such a young age.
The full list of teenage scorers who reached 100 points is short and historic:
- Wayne Gretzky — Oilers — 137 points
- Sidney Crosby — Penguins — 120 points
- Jimmy Carson — Kings — 107 points
- Dale Hawerchuk — Jets — 103 points
- Sidney Crosby — Penguins — 102 points
- Mario Lemieux — Penguins — 100 points
Gretzky’s teenage total included 104 points in 72 games in the World Hockey Association before the Oilers joined the NHL, which still stands as part of the sport’s broader scoring history.
Why Celebrini stands out
Celebrini’s rise has come quickly after he finished third in Calder Trophy voting as a rookie last season. He has since moved from promising prospect to one of the NHL’s most closely watched young stars, and he has done it while carrying a large share of the Sharks’ offense.
San Jose has struggled near the bottom of the standings in back-to-back seasons, yet Celebrini has kept the club in the playoff conversation for much of the year. He has scored twice as many points as the next-highest Sharks player, with Will Smith sitting at 49.
That gap shows how central Celebrini has become to the team’s attack. He has also given the Sharks a rare cornerstone player at a time when the franchise has been searching for stability and top-end production.
How he reached the milestone
Celebrini entered the recent stretch on a strong run and then briefly slowed after a nine-game point streak to open March. He had only one assist over the next five-game span before breaking out again in a 3-2 road win over the Columbus Blue Jackets, where he scored his 36th goal and added an assist for his 26th multi-point game of the season.
That response reflected the consistency that has defined much of his season. He has handled top-line responsibility, created offense in multiple ways and continued producing even as opponents focused heavily on stopping him.
Contract, value and what comes next
Celebrini has one year left on his entry-level contract and will be eligible for an extension on July 1. The Sharks are expected to push to keep him long term, with the new collective bargaining agreement set to limit re-signings to seven years once it takes effect in September.
San Jose general manager Mike Grier raised the stakes without revealing much when asked earlier about the next contract, saying, “I don’t want to think about the number.” The comment reflected how quickly Celebrini has become a central part of the franchise’s future and one of the biggest decisions the team will face in the near term.
His 100-point season does more than put him in an exclusive historical group. It also confirms that Celebrini has already reached a level of impact that few NHL players achieve at any age, let alone before turning 20.
Read more at: www.nytimes.com
