Austin DeLonge
Macklin Celebrini keeps making San Jose Sharks history.
Celebrini was announced as NHL 27 cover athlete on Tuesday, confirming Mike Straw’s weekend report.
“Playing the game growing up, and always messing around with my buddies, it’s going to be pretty cool to have me on the cover and see me when I’m loading into the game,” Celebrini told Bleacher Report.
Celebrini is the first San Jose Sharks player since Owen Nolan and NHL 2001 to be the cover athlete for the popular EA Sports video game series. NHL 2001 was released in Sept. 2000.
The 20-year-old is also the youngest player in league history to grace the cover for the series, just ahead of 21-year-old Trevor Zegras, who headlined NHL 23.
And, Celebrini is the first San Jose Sharks player to feature on a major video game cover since Joe Thornton and NHL 2K7, released in Sept. 2006.
This honor further confirms the prevailing thought that Celebrini is the future face of the NHL.
It’s yet another milestone in a year full of them: The super sophomore scored 115 points, breaking Thornton’s single-season franchise record for points, 114 in 2006-07. Celebrini was fourth in the Hart Trophy voting and a Ted Lindsay Award finalist.
Internationally, the Canadian led the Olympics with five goals, winning a silver medal, and was named to the Olympic All-Star team. He was anointed captain of his World Championships team, finishing second in the tournament with 14 points, and was named the Worlds’ best forward.
For all these achievements, domestic and international, Celebrini was named 2026 IIHF Men’s Hockey Player of the Year.