San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini is officially the NHL 27 cover athlete, making history as the youngest player ever featured. The league dropped the news Tuesday, cementing the 20-year-old's status after just his second season in the big show. Talk about a quick rise, huh?
From NCAA Phenom to Calder Finalist
This kid was the first overall pick by the Sharks back in the 2024 NHL Draft, and he wasted absolutely no time proving why. Before even hitting the pros, Celebrini became a household name at Boston University, snagging the Hobey Baker Award as the top NCAA player, and he was the youngest ever to do it. His rookie season with the Sharks? Dude played in 70 games and put up a sick 63 points, bagging 25 goals and dishing out 38 assists. He was even a finalist for the Calder Memorial Trophy, Rookie of the Year stuff, but that went to Lane Hutson. Still, what a start!Second Season Explosion and a Historic Honor
But check this out: his second season was a whole different beast. Celebrini took a gigantic leap, playing all 82 games for San Jose and absolutely exploding for 115 points! That's 45 goals and 70 assists. Yeah, you read that right. He was so good he actually finished fourth in voting for the league MVP Award. And it’s cool to see him follow in the footsteps of another Sharks legend, Owen Nolan, who was on the NHL 2001 cover. This kid is truly something else. So, get ready for more Celebrini! The reveal trailer for NHL 27 drops on Thursday, July 16, at 11 a.m. ET on the EA Sports NHL YouTube channel. The game's hitting shelves sometime in September. You know we'll be watching that trailer for the exact date. This kid is the real deal, no doubt.This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.