Sharks’ Macklin Celebrini is NHL 27 cover athlete
- July 16, 2026
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July 15, 2026, 10:02 p.m. ET A prodigy is defined as a person, especially a highly talented child, who exhibits extraordinary abilities or skills far beyond what is
July 15, 2026, 10:02 p.m. ET
A prodigy is defined as a person, especially a highly talented child, who exhibits extraordinary abilities or skills far beyond what is typical for one’s age.
Macklin Celebrini is no longer a child, but the prodigy title still applies. He’s only 20 years old.
Despite playing the past season at just 19 years old, Celebrini broke the San Jose Sharks’ single-season record for points with 115.
Celebrini just accomplished another feat ― gracing the cover of EA Sports’ NHL 27. He’s the youngest ever to appear on the video game’s front page.
The cover features two different looks: one of Celebrini donning the teal and black home jerseys as he looks to the rafters; and another in their crisp white away jerseys as Celebrini screams in celebration.
“Wow, pretty cool. I mean, it’s it’s pretty amazing,” Celebrini said on being on the cover of NHL 27. “Me and all my brothers and buddies play this game, and I mean, I used to see a bunch of my idols on the game, so it’s pretty cool.”
One of those idols that he’d use was Connor McDavid.
Celebrini had an 88 rating in NHL 26. He was content with that ― not bad for a second-year player.
He’s hoping that his virtual player will receive a little bump now that he’s the cover athlete. He now awaits to see what his new rating will be during the game’s full reveal on July 16.
Celebrini was also named the IIHF Male Player of the Year, solidifying his name as an international star.
The 20-year-old hasn’t done much to celebrate. He prefers to keep it lowkey.
“Nothing crazy. I think just hanging out with my family,” Celebrini said. “I mean, it’s been a short summer and probably going by a little bit too quick. So, trying to spend as much quality time with them and all my friends as possible. … Dinner with my grandma at some point, so that’s probably it.”
Celebrini appeared in all 82 games during the 2025-26 regular season and scored 45 goals with 70 assists, accounting for 115 total points. He finished the season with eight power play goals and five game-winning goals.
