San Jose Sharks
Buium Owned Celebrini With This Chirp
For the San Jose Sharks, it’s probably just a dream to build around Macklin Celebrini and Zeev Buium for the next decade.
The Sharks will select Boston University center Celebrini with the first-overall pick of the 2024 Draft, but their next pick, No. 14, is likely too low for the touted Buium to drop to. That pick is also possibly too low to be the centerpiece for a trade up to grab the University of Denver defenseman.
But if Celebrini and Buium’s chemistry is as good on the ice as it’s been off the ice these past few days? The San Jose Sharks will be missing out.
Celebrini and Buium, who know each other from Shattuck-St.Mary’s, have been trading compliments and playful jabs since the Scouting Combine in Buffalo last week to Game Two of the Stanley Cup Final in Florida today.
On Friday, Buium gushed about Celebrini in his media availability.
“He’s an unbelievable kid,” Buium said. “On the ice, he’s just a stud, right? He’s good at everything.”
Live from the Draft Combine!
Zeev Buium knows Macklin Celebrini from Shattuck & playing against him in the Frozen Four: "If he's not scoring, he's gonna run you over as well." pic.twitter.com/6RIN2SW4oS
— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) June 7, 2024
Celebrini followed Buium on the podium and returned the compliment…kind of.
“I was blown away when I saw him at the Frozen Four. I felt like he was the best player on the ice. It was pretty cool to see,” Celebrini said, before smiling, “just don’t tell him I said that.”
Celebrini Talks Playing Against Will Smith, Merits of Going Back to College
The one-upmanship carried over into Saturday, when the prospects got their heights measured before fitness testing.
The 5-foot-11.75 Celebrini was visibly disappointed to measure just short of 6-foot-0.
Macklin Celebrini couldn't believe he measured just short of 6 feet 😂 pic.twitter.com/FzG4aDFCzP
— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) June 8, 2024
Buium had no such problem…and he let prep school mates Celebrini and Cole Eiserman know it.
Zeev Buium smiling ear to ear about his 6-foot listing. Said he gave it to Macklin Celebrini and Cole Eiserman (who came in just shy) a bit.
— Scott Wheeler (@scottcwheeler) June 8, 2024
This weekend “rivalry” culminated this morning, when Celebrini, visiting morning skate of Game Two of the Stanley Cup Final with Buium, Artyom Levshunov, and Cayden Lindstrom, jokingly took the podium in an otherwise empty press conference room, and asked his seated peers if they had any questions for him.
Macklin Celebrini jumps behind the podium in the interview room at the Stanley Cup Final and urges fellow top draft prospects Artyom Levshunov, Cayden Lindstrom and Zeev Buium to ask him questions. pic.twitter.com/jJLqv4KMj8
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) June 10, 2024
According to Nick Cotsonika of NHL.com, Buium chirped, “How does it feel to never win anything?”
Burn, er, Buium can lord three championships over Celebrini, USA over Canada in the 2023 U-18 World Championships, USA over Canada in the 2024 World Junior Championships, and national champion DU over BU in the 2024 Frozen Four.
“Next question,” Celebrini said.
Did I say one-upmanship? I meant one-sided.
However, there’s no doubt that Celebrini will go No. 1 to the San Jose Sharks in the 2024 Draft. But instead of that as his last laugh…I bet Celebrini would rather be laughing with Buium on the same team over the next decade.
