Celebrini leads the Sharks and he’s fourth in the NHL with 81 points this season, 15 behind McDavid, the League leader, so it’s not at all surprising that he’s on this superstar-laden Team Canada.
He himself is a bona fide superstar now, but to play as well as he did on the world’s biggest sporting stage at his age left his own teammates in awe even though they all know all too well that he deserves to be here — because he’s been tearing them up in the NHL too.
“I can’t say enough good things about that kid,” McDavid said. “He’s so, so impressive.”
Said MacKinnon, “He’s so young, but I mean, if no one knew how old he was, just watching him, he’s one of the best players in the world regardless of his age. He’s a top five, seven, player in the world, no questions.”
MacKinnon, who at 30 and to date has won nearly everything there is for him to win in this game except an Olympic gold medal, said even he is learning from Celebrini.
“It’s amazing to see someone at 19 be that dialed in to their off ice, their on ice, their everything,” MacKinnon said. “I think everyone can learn from him even though he’s 19.”
