Pittsburgh Hockey Insider has no direct affiliation to the Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL or NHLPA
Sidney Crosby Endorses Surprising Player as Team Canada Olympics Candidate
Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, who will captain Canada at the 2026 Olympics, is openly endorsing former 1st overall pick Macklin Celebrini to be on the team as well.
Canada will attempt to win another gold medal on the ice in the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, and will once again be led by Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, who will undoubtedly wear the C on his sweater yet again.
But there is a young player who was a candidate for Rookie of the Year in 2024-25 who is a candidate to make the team, and has the endorsement of Crosby. San Jose Sharks forward Macklin Celebrini, who is about to enter his 2nd year in the NHL, has earned Crosby's full praise to make the final roster.
Why Sidney Crosby Believes Macklin Celebrini Deserves Olympic Consideration
Crosby openly praised San Jose Sharks forward Macklin Celebrini's poise despite having only a year in the NHL after they were teammates for Canada at the 2025 IIHF World Championship.
He's earned the right to be in the conversation.....He's an incredible player. Just his all-around game at his age is pretty impressive. He's committed defensively, he competes hard. He's got a pretty mature game for his age. I think having that experience at Worlds can only help. I'm sure he built confidence from that.
Additionally, Celebrini would officially make history if he were named to Canada's roster, as no teenager has ever done so before.
Celebrini had 63 points (25G, 38A) in his rookie year and will only get better as his career advances. The main question for Canada is whether they'd choose to go with promising youth over established experience when it comes to once again shooting for a gold medal on the international stage.
If Celebrini does eventually play for Canada this February at the Olympics, it could represent a passing of the torch in essence from Crosby to Celebrini on the world stage.
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 8 | 34 ANSWERS Sidney Crosby Endorses Surprising Player as Team Canada Olympics Candidate Will Macklin Celebrini get a roster spot on Canada for the Olympics? | ||
| Yes | 24 | 70.6 % |
| No | 10 | 29.4 % |
| List of polls | ||