ST. PAUL, Minn. — Two nights before maybe the biggest game of his life so far, Macklin Celebrini was asked to do one of the very few things he’s not so good at:
Sing.
Celebrini, 17, the expected No. 1 pick in June’s NHL Draft, was at a team dinner with Boston University’s hockey team at the Capital Grille in downtown Minneapolis. The Terriers were playing one of their favorite games, “Shoe Check,” where teammates try to sneak something onto each other’s shoes (butter, etc.) under the table, and if they’re caught when a glass is clinked, they have to sing.
Celebrini, the superstar freshman, and junior Ty Gallagher were this night’s unlucky ones. They stood up and sang “Cruise,” the country hit by Florida Georgia Line.
Typically, the team has its own room of a restaurant when they play Shoe Check. They laugh it off and it stays in-house. But this time, they were in the middle of a packed restaurant, standing out in their red quarter zips.
“It was pretty terrible,” joked Gavin McCarthy. “Probably a little more embarrassing for them.”
“He was a good sport about it,” captain Case McCarthy said.
“I’d say a 5 ½ (out of 10),” Gallagher admitted.
“He was pretty quiet,” said Lane Hutson, the star sophomore and Canadiens prospect. “But he did it. You can’t knock him too much.”
It’s these moments, just being a college kid, that Celebrini will likely remember the most if he does what most people expect and leaves school for the NHL. The youngest player in NCAA Division I men’s hockey this season and youngest to ever be chosen as a top-three finalist for the Hobey Baker Award, which will be presented Friday night, has garnered nearly Connor Bedard-level hype.
And now that Celebrini’s Terriers have been eliminated from the NCAA Tournament — losing Thursday’s dramatic overtime game 2-1 to Denver in the Frozen Four semifinals — he’s on the clock for his decision.
But those around Celebrini, including his father, Rick, wouldn’t be surprised if he stays another year in school.
“It’s a difficult decision because it depends on what team drafts me, where I go, what the situation is like,” Celebrini said in a sitdown with The Athletic. “It depends on a lot of stuff. Obviously, I wouldn’t be afraid of coming back, too. We have a great group this year. We have a lot of guys coming back next year, so we’ll have a special group again.
“It’s tough to tell what’s going to happen. It’s still up in the air.”
On Joe Pereira’s first day as Terriers associate coach in June 2022, he and new coach Jay Pandolfo were going over recruiting plans.
Pandolfo, the former Boston University captain who won a national title in 1995 before a lengthy NHL career, asked Pereira, a member of the last Terriers title team (2009), a simple question:
“Who is the best player?”
“Well, Macklin Celebrini is the best player,” Pereira replied. “But he’s got no traction to any school out east.”
“You want to call his dad and find out?” Pandolfo asked.
Celebrini was living in Northern California, where his father is the director of sports medicine and performance of the Golden State Warriors. Rick said he picked the Warriors over the San Antonio Spurs in 2018 not because Golden State was a budding dynasty but because the Bay Area had better youth hockey. NHLer Brent Burns connected the family with the junior Sharks for Macklin, then 12, and older brother Aiden, then 13.
The brothers later played together at Minnesota prep powerhouse Shattuck-St. Mary’s. Rick said Jim Hughes, the former NHLer and dad of current NHLers Quinn, Jack and Luke, suggested that college hockey would be best for Macklin’s development.
Plenty of college coaches reached out to Macklin. Pereira was the first to call Rick, who was in the 2022 NBA Finals with the Warriors against the Boston Celtics at the time. Pereira left a voicemail:
“Rick, this is Joe Pereira from Boston University. Before I go any further, I want to let you know I’m not a Celtics fan. I know you’re flying into town. I want to talk to you about your boys.”
Rick soon replied via text: “LOL. I’ll give you a call later.”
The next day, Rick met with Pandolfo and his staff. When the Warriors traveled to Boston for Game 6, the Celebrini boys came along. They got a short but sweet tour of Boston University — around an hour — but Aiden and Macklin got to see campus and Agganis Arena. Pandolfo, a two-time Cup champion with the New Jersey Devils, talked about the national championships the Terriers had, the Hobey Baker finalists, the alumni who are current NHL players, scouts and execs. Pandolfo and Pereira also made a visit to the Celebrini San-Francisco-area home in August.
Macklin said he got texts from Jack Eichel, Charlie McAvoy and Brady Tkachuk, among others, about their experiences at the program.
“I saw the facilities, met the coaches, and that’s all I needed,” he said. “There’s a lot of history.”
Aiden committed first, then Macklin, who admitted having his brother there played a role. They’ve always been a “yin and yang,” as Macklin puts it, close but with very different personalities. Their youngest brother, R.J., 12, said Macklin is harder on him than Aiden but they all like to give it to each other.
“I remember watching an NHL game, and a player was on the power play and kept missing the net,” R.J. said. “I was like, ‘Come on, man, you’re looking like, Mack. Mack chased me around the house for 15 minutes.”
The Celebrinis together on the court and ice. (Courtesy of the Celebrini family)
Macklin’s competitive edge was sparked at an early age.
Rick joked that his older boys found it through “osmosis” being around him while he worked with elite athletes, including at the 2010 Olympic games. Macklin said he learned how to be a “pro” in recent years watching the likes of Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.
“It’s the understanding that all you see in production on TV, it’s not real,” Rick said. “What’s real is behind-the-scenes work. These guys are just guys. They happen to be really good at something, and they are because of all the work they put in. It peels back the layers and shows what it’s about.
“(Macklin) always wants to be first in line, lead every drill. It’s in his DNA.”
The Terriers found that out on the opening day of camp. Part of the initial workout and testing is a three-mile ride on an assault bike. Usually, it’s the tallest, heaviest players who finish first. Macklin clocked in at 6:40, five seconds off the top time.
“He pissed a lot of guys off, but it was because of how competitive he is,” Pandolfo said. “He doesn’t give anyone an inch, and he’s like that every day. And for a 17-year-old to push a group of older players like that, it’s pretty impressive.
‘That’s why he is who he is.”
Celebrini pushes even in cards, introducing the teammates he shares a three-room, six-person dorm with to a poker-style game he learned at world juniors. He plays bubble hockey like it’s a Game 7. His hockey IQ translates to other competition, too, approaching games like they’re chess.
“He’s one, two, maybe 20 steps ahead of his opponent,” Boston University associate head strength and conditioning coach Ken Whittier. “A pretty sharp kid.”
Earlier in the season, Pereira was going over video for the penalty kill. He was having fun, showing clips of the Terriers PK doing well in practice against Celebrini.
“This kid is a good player and we shut him down,” Pereira told the team.
“He looked at me and started steaming — didn’t talk to me for a week,” Pereira said, laughing. “I didn’t go after him again on video. I learned my lesson.”
Celebrini felt that playing college hockey, and at Boston University, would better prepare him for the next step. And that’s been as advertised.
“It’s just the maturity of the game,” Celebrini said. “There’s a lot of bigger, faster, stronger guys. It challenges me in different ways. I feel like it’s helped me grow. You can’t really cheat. You can’t always get away with some things you would if you were playing against competition that’s not like that.”
Macklin Celebrini plays video games with teammates. (Joe Smith / The Athletic)
Bedard reached out to Celebrini last summer, telling him that if he needed anything to let him know.
The two prodigies grew up playing with and against each other in the Vancouver area and were from the same winter club. Rick recalled them playing shinny a ton, getting dropped off on a Saturday and competing all day.
“They’ve got a great relationship,” Rick said. “(Macklin) appreciated him offering that support. There’s nothing like being through it yourself.”
Soon, Celebrini will likely follow in Bedard’s footsteps as this year’s top pick. NHL teams near the bottom of the standings are eager to get a shot at him.
“Let’s cross our fingers,” said David Quinn, the former Boston University player and coach who now is the coach of the lottery-bound San Jose Sharks. “He’s got everything. This is a guy who plays a mature game at such a young age, on top of the skills that he has. He’s a guy that plays on the inside. He values all three zones. I mean, he reminds me an awful lot of Jonathan Toews, with the way he approaches the game.”
“He’s as good a freshman as I’ve seen play here,” said legendary Terriers coach Jack Parker, who was behind the bench for 40 years. “He’s Jack Eichel but plays all three zones. The best freshman I ever saw play college hockey is Paul Kariya. This kid is right up there. A terrific player. Makes everyone around him great. The fact he’s only 17 is amazing.”
What strikes Celebrini’s teammates is how his maturity goes well beyond his age. It’s not just how he approaches the game, practices and drills. It’s how Celebrini handles the outside noise, the spotlight, the autograph seekers.
“It’s a lot for a 17-year-old,” said Case McCarthy, a fifth-year senior. “Guys at his age are gearing up for under-18 worlds, maybe looking for a prom date. That’s what my senior year of high school was. The maturity away from the rink and the way he handles it is unreal.
“They say, ‘He’s a freshman.’ Yeah, he’s a freshman, but he’s 17. Playing college hockey at 17 is hard enough. What he’s doing is ridiculous.’”
Hutson, a Canadiens second-rounder in 2022, said he couldn’t believe Celebrini was 17.
“I’m like, ‘Wow, he’s really young,’” Hutson, 20, said. “He doesn’t act like it. He’s an incredible player, incredible teammate. I hope Montreal somehow gets him, that’d be pretty cool.”
Rick believes his son can see the bigger picture with this future-changing decision. He has been open to insight from his support system, including family, advisers with CAA (like Pat Brisson and Matt Williams) and coaches.
“Me and (Warriors coach) Steve Kerr talk about this all the time,” Rick said. “There’s a value to being patient and developing at a level that’s more conducive to development. The NHL is not a developmental league. The NBA is not a developmental league. You’re either ready or you’re not. But college hockey is more conducive to that with the schedule, the work in the weight room and practice schedule.”
Celebrini grew up a Canucks fan idolizing the Sedin twins. He wore No. 87 in youth hockey because of Sidney Crosby, watching him closely to mimic things the Pittsburgh Penguins future Hall of Fame captain does. But is Celebrini ready to compete with the NHL’s best?
“An Arizona scout called me and goes, ‘For what you do for a living, where would you say he is on his developmental curve?’” Rick recalled. “Honestly, he’s a puppy. He shaves once every couple weeks. He’s not even through puberty. He really is a kid, kid. He’s got a little bit of maturing and growing to do, just getting that thickness of a man’s body.”
Celebrini was hard on himself after Thursday’s season-ending loss to Denver. He had a team-high seven shots on goal, including a grade-A chance on the opening shift that was smothered by Pioneers goaltender Matt Davis. While a huge chunk of the somber Terrriers room had already cleared out, Celebrini was patiently sitting at his stall, knowing media would be looking for him. He gets it. Like a pro.
“It’s 100 percent on me,” Celebrini said. “I can’t get an opportunity like that in a game and not bury it. I take responsibility for that.”
When asked about his timeline for deciding his future, Celebrini shook his head, saying he planned to be playing through the weekend and is still “in shock.” He talked about how he “cherished” every memory in school.
No matter what he decides, Celebrini has left a legacy.
“It’s been only one year, but there’s no question he’s been a game changer,” Pandolfo said. “It’s worked out great for us and it’s worked out pretty well for him too. You’d love to have guys stay two, three, four years. But we’re not going to pass up a player of his caliber. Even if it may only be a year. That’s still to be determined. It’ll be interesting to see how it plays out.”
(Top photos: David Berding / Getty Images and Matt Krohn / USA Today)
