In a season full of darkness for the San Jose Sharks, a star is being born.
Rookie sensation Macklin Celebrini became just the sixth teenager in NHL history to record 100 points in a season, joining a pantheon of hockey immortals that includes Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Sidney Crosby, Dale Hawerchuk, and Jimmy Carson. He notched his 100th and 101st points in dominant fashion, giving Sharks fans something they haven't had in a long time: hope.
Let's put this in perspective. Celebrini is 18 years old. He's younger than some college freshmen. And he's putting up numbers that only the greatest players in hockey history have achieved at this age.
Wayne Gretzky did it. The Great One himself. Mario Lemieux, who many consider the most talented player ever, did it. Sidney Crosby, a generational talent who's still dominating the league today, did it.
And now? Macklin Celebrini has done it.
He also became the third Shark ever to reach 100 points in a season, joining Joe Thornton and Brent Burns - two future Hall of Famers. And he did it at the youngest age in franchise history, a record that may never be broken.
Look, the Sharks are bad this year. Let's not sugarcoat it. They're in full rebuild mode, playing for lottery balls and draft picks. But watching Celebrini play? That's appointment television, folks. The kid has vision, hands, hockey IQ off the charts. He makes plays that players twice his age can't make.
I've been calling hockey for 20 years, and I can count on one hand the number of teenagers I've seen who play with this kind of maturity and poise. He doesn't play like a rookie. He plays like a veteran All-Star who just happens to be 18.
