Sidney Crosby shares immense praise for Sharks young phenom Macklin Celebrini

An interesting feature of their careers that both Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins and Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks share is that they were both first overall picks in the NHL Entry Draft.

But their entrances into the NHL were nearly two full decades apart. Crosby was taken first overall by the Penguins in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft, which was popularly referred to as the "Crosby sweepstakes", and has gone on to enjoy a Hall of Fame career with multiple accolades and three Stanley Cups.

Celebrini was taken first overall by the Sharks in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, and while he's got a very long way to go before he can reach Crosby's status, he's laying the groundwork to have potentially the same kind of career path.

Both Crosby and Celebrini played together for Canada over the summer during the 2025 IIHF World Championship, and Crosby will obviously play for Canada in the upcoming 2026 Winter Olympics.

When asked if Celebrini has done enough to earn a spot on the team, Crosby said he thinks it's very possible.

Crosby is a fan of Celebrini's, and they could potentially be both going for gold together in a few months.

Crosby's spot on Canada is already guaranteed, as he's captained Canada to their most recent pair of gold medal wins in 2010 and 2014.

Meanwhile, Celebrini is already making a strong case for himself as not only one of the best young players in the NHL, but someone who should represent Canada on the biggest stage.

So far in his second year in the NHL, Celebrini has 40 points (14G, 26A) in just 29 games.