Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks leaves the game against Utah with a lower-body injury

The San Jose Sharks have confirmed that No. 1 overall pick Macklin Celebrini will not return for today’s game against the Utah Hockey Club due to a lower-body injury.

Celebrini may have been injured after shooting the puck at Utah goaltender Connor Ingram and hitting the boards hard. Celebrini was able to get up on his own and play a few more innings before leaving.

F Macklin Celebrini will not return for today’s match (lower body).

— San Jose Sharks PR (@SanJoseSharksPR) October 2, 2024

Celebrini scored 32 goals and 64 points in 38 games for the NCAA’s Boston University Terriers in the 2023-2024 season.

The North Vancouver, British Columbia native also appeared in five games with Team Canada at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship, scoring four goals and eight points.

Celebrini spent the 2022-23 season with the Chicago Steel of the USHL, for whom he scored 46 goals and 86 points in 50 games as a 16-year-old. He added six goals and 15 points in seven games with Team Canada at the 2023 IIHF Under-18 World Championship.

The 18-year-old will play alongside Sharks prospects Will Smith, William Eklund and Thomas Bordeleau during the 2024-25 season. If Celebrini recovers, he will make his long-awaited NHL debut on the opening night of the 2024-2025 season on October 10 against St. Louis Blues.

Here’s what Daily clashSteven Ellis had this to say about Celebrini, who went No. 1 in his latest 2024 NHL Draft rankings:

“The undisputed No. 1 prospect is as complete as possible, putting up great numbers while also backtracking like his life depended on it. Celebrini is good at the draw and his sheer power allows him to win so many faceoffs even against older competition. He’ll be San Jose’s No. 1 pick for a while and will look for ways to gain value even if he doesn’t post much. As an intermediary, he is better than Bedard. His skills are not up to par, but he is amazing in his own right. The first general picks are always in high demand and sometimes even overrated. In Celebrini’s case you can see all the transferable skills and how well he performed against older opponents at the age of just 17. Just think where he will be in five years.”